Show And Tell
by Season4.5
Summary: Complications arise the moment Rory steps into a class she should've not been in to begin with. TRORY. COMPLETE.
1. Come Meet David

SHOW AND TELL

Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls, its contents, characters and situations are the property of WB, Amy and Daniel Palladino, its writers, directors and producers. The fanfic situations used are borrowed from within the series and are not meant to be spoilers. Hope you enjoy the story!

A/N: All new! To all who asked for new Trory goodness, here it is! It's typed at midnight so pardon the erratic writing. However, I am trying something new. Post me with your ideas on how you think this should go or else it will turn into a fluff piece. Read, enjoy and post. BTW, all followers of "Off To the Meat Market We Go", the alternate ending address is posted on my bio page.

CHAPTER 1

Tristin DuGrey wondered how he got there. He stared at the white robe that hung on his shoulders. He began to feel the red crawl all over his body, a blush that seems to never stop.

It happened early in the semester. He procrastinated in taking his Humanities courses and as usual, he slipped into the last slot open to him and his schedule. He should've known why. He had Professor Melrose, notorious for being a pretentious cad thus earning the moniker "Tupperware".

Time after time, Tristin made it his personal crusade to embarrass the man. The last straw broke last Monday when the professor himself threw him out of the class.

"This is the last time you are going to waste the time of this class, Mister DuGrey. I suggest you find another class to fulfill your Humanities requisite to graduate because you are not getting the grade from me," the bulbous man harrumphed.

Tristin's nostrils flared as he walked out of the prestigious Brown halls.

And that was how he ended up in the drab yellow room. 'And you call this an art classroom?' Tristin asked himself.

He looked through the crack of the door left ajar. The room was filling up slowly. One by one, the nine o'clock class was trickling in. Shrugging the imaginary chill in the room, he tried loosening up.

Showtime will be in fifteen minutes.

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"Oh my God, Rory. I am a mess," Tanh Vu, Rory's effeminate friend gushed. "I mean, can you see it? My hands are shaking."

"You'll be fine, Tanh," Rory tried to calm the Asian taking long strides next to her to match her speed. I still don't know why you need me to be with you though."

"Because I want you to be with me when I ask the Prof for a letter of recommendation so I can get the grant!" he exclaimed with as much theatrical flare he can surmise.

Rory shot him an incredulous glare. No matter how much she told him that he could get the grant with his talent, her constant reassurance always seemed to put him at ease. "You know you could call me like two hours later, like when I am more rested."

"You don't need any more sleep. You need to be alive to all that's around you," Tanh informed her, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Plus, I know you'd prefer talking to me while I am sketching a handsome specimen in front of me."

"You should consider yourself lucky that I got myself out of bed just to accompany you to your class," Rory grumbled, tugging impatiently on the sleeves of her sweater.

"And I am truly honored," Tanh acknowledged Rory by giving her a big hug despite the knocking the huge canvass he carried along with them on their knees. "Besides, I want you to meet this guy in my class. I am not sure if he's sending the 'vibe'."

Despite Tanh's ability to pick out color schemes and patterns, he is horrible at picking up on signals. He always needed someone with a 'gaydar' to help him discern the heterosexuals from those that aren't.

"You know there's this thing that's called 'talking' that could actually let you know whether or not the guy's into you," Rory pointed out.

"But where's the drama to that?" he asked. "At least, this way, you could scout him out, be a feeler. You could actually study him and see if he is… you know…"

Rory rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. You so owe me."

"On my wedding day?" Tanh hinted.

"Sooner. Like lunch. Or breakfast. Right now, I will settle with anything that resembles chocolate covered coffee beans," Rory hinted.

"That stuff is so bad for you," Tanh scolded. "You need to switch to Chai tea. It's more calming."

"I don't need calming. I need stimulation," Rory groaned.

"Trust me honey, you need another kind of stimulation other than the caffeine kind," Tanh whispered the suggestion in her ear. Rory knew too well what he meant. Both of them giggled like little girls.

"Well now that we've gotten off the conversation," Rory tried to divert their conversation to Tanh's academic goal. "Have you decided where you want to go to get your Masters?"

"I'm hoping to get to Temple," he mused. "Come on. How ironic could it be that I would be getting my Masters in the City of Brotherly Love? And it will be a lot cheaper since I'm from PA."

"Aw, that would suck. I won't get to see you anymore," Rory sadly realized.

"Pshaw, like you'd remember me," he mocked. "You're going to be the new Soledad O'Brien and you'd be saying, "Who? Tanh Vu? I don't know him!" and you'd whisk yourself away to some god-awful country to say you lived the hard journalist life," he rambled on, flipping the imaginary long hair he wished he had.

"You are so melodramatic!" Rory teased him. "I can't forget you in a million years."

"I will hold you to that," Tanh threatened her before they entered his classroom.

All of a sudden, Tanh stopped in front of the large double doors that beckoned them to enter. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In that split second, Tanh was transformed from a very easy-going guy to a determined, focused artiste.

"Watch the master at work," Tanh announced, strutting in the room.

Rory had to suppress a giggle before following the Asian. She should suggest that he should get a minor in performance arts.

Rory looked around the room filled with several students pulling out brushes and pencils quietly mumbling to the person next to them. Some were putting their canvases up on the easels. Others are obvious novices, striking up poseur stances of indifference. There was a different kind of energy flowing in the loft-like space.

"Rory, that's him , that's him!" Tanh whispered excitedly.

Rory swiveled her head to the right. In front of her was a handsome, lithe brunette that looks like he stepped out of a GAP ad. He wore rimless glasses, a white T-shirt with an open blue pinstriped shirt layering it and a pair of Diesel jeans that hung low on his hips. The man looked at them and flashed a smile.

"Hey, what's up?" he greeted, nodding towards their general direction.

"'Sup!" Tanh mimicked his action, talking in a voice Rory had never heard. "You think this new model's gonna last this time?"

"Wishing," the other guy smirked. "Or else, we will have nothing for our exhibit."

"Ya know?" Tanh responded. "That's why women models are better. They're less pretentious."

The brunette just laughed.

Again, Tanh resumed his real personality and spoke excitedly to Rory. "Oh my God, Rory. He spoke to me. Me! What do you think?"

Rory needed more than small talk to verify his ambiguity. "I think he's nice. He could talk."

Tanh shot her a withering glance.

"Just ask him out for a drink. I'll play chaperone," Rory suggested.

"Are you sure? You're not pulling my leg," Tanh asked, serious about the plan.

"Yes," Rory sighed.

A hush fell in the room almost simultaneously with Rory mouthing her response. Their professor took languid strides towards the pedestal in the middle of the room. A few moved their easels to get a better view of the well coiffed bohemian dressed lady that commanded presence.

'Well, well! I have a full class today. I guess everyone has heard that we finally got our new male model," the professor spoke jovially.

A round of chuckles filled the room.

"Let's hope this time he won't have any performance anxieties," she added on. More chortles erupted.

"Without further ado, let's get working!" she announced.

Left of center, a blonde Rory felt like she's known before emerged. He sauntered on to the pedestal with an air of arrogance.

"I know him," Rory let out a stage whisper.

"Oh my God, I am in lust!" Tanh murmured next to her. Both of them took in the sight of the Adonis that seemed to not care that sixteen pairs of eyes focused on him like fresh meat.

The blonde sniffed and unceremoniously disrobed. The room let out a collective gasp when he posed in his full glory.

The chiseled arm hung loosely on the left, the right akimbo on his hip. His chest puffed out as he took a straddled pose under the sterile light. Rory's gaze traveled down the well-sculpted abdominals, noticing a small scar marring the perfect skin. On down her eyes traveled to the taut buttocks and the well trimmed pubic hair…

"I am staring at a naked Tristin DuGrey," the realization hit her without him knowing.


	2. Hello, Playgirl Centerfold

CHAPTER 2

Gawking was the perfect word to describe what she was doing at the moment. Her lips parted, her throat felt parched. The two words reverberating in her head were "naked" and "Tristin". Neither was ever put in the same sentence by her in her entire life. Swallowing the sight of the being in front of her made her feel dirty but at the same time titillated. His masculinity finally answered the whys the Chiltonite girls spoke of him in hushed tones. "Endowed" all of a sudden was a term she became well acquainted with. If she were to be Catholic, at this point, confession was her only option.

Rory tried to speak but no words came out of her mouth. She tried to point but she seemed frozen on the spot. She felt like a caricature off of a cartoon show whose jaw had literally hit the floor and needs to be put back in place.

If anything else, she welcomed the jarring vibrating tool on her hip that woke her up from the surreal event unfolding in front of her.

"Surely you know that such devices are supposed to be turned off before entering the class Miss…" Professor Manalt asked, waiting for Rory to introduce herself.

"Lorelai Gilmore. Rory," she stuttered. "I…Tanh…"

Rory slowly backed away from the room, not wanting any more distraction than she already had caused. However, in her trepidation, she accidentally steps on the leg of an easel, bringing it to a crashing tumble on the cold tile. Brushes, pens and loose sheets fell clumsily around her.

Like a petrified rabbit, she took off, not looking back.

"Agh!" Rory screamed.

She woke up covered in sweat. She had to get over Wednesday. She looked at her bedside clock that glared 6:30 at her. She might as well get an early start on her Friday.

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Paris was a little perturbed that Rory for once remained quiet throughout a meal despite her constant haranguing.

"Rory, what has gotten into you? You usually are first to attack me when I speak of the overextension government has put on the First Amendment," Paris criticized.

"What?" Rory responded blankly.

"See? Tabula rasa in action,"� Paris huffed. "Why do I even try?"

Before Rory could protest, Tanh interfered the conference going on between the two girls.

"Tonight, nine o'clock, the Alchemy and no excuses that you're going home. You promised you'd act as a chaperone between me and Alex," Tanh threatened Rory when he plopped his tray on the table.

"I am not going home," she keened. "Grandparents are out of town and mom's got a function at the Inn. I have to entertain myself here in town."

"Good," Tanh said. "I don't want to disappoint your blind date."

"No!" Rory replied indignantly.

"David will be looking forward to actually seeing you," Tanh dangled the information in front of Rory.

"You're kidding, right? Tell me you conned him to ask me out or something, please? I am so humiliated," Rory groaned. "I agreed to chaperone, not to be set up on a date."

"Am I invited to join you guys?" Paris chimed in.

"Yes!" Tanh said.

"No!" Rory protested simultaneously.

"What are you hiding, huh?" Paris grilled.

"Nothing!" Rory's eyes bugged out.

"Fine. You just don't want me around when your blind date turns out to be the loser of the week," Paris huffed, feeling left out from the conversation.

"Paris? Have you ever had a moment where you think you're in a nightmare and you can't seem to wake up no matter how hard you try?" Rory pried.

"Yeah, when I found out that I did not getting into Harvard," Paris said without taking a moment to pause. "For once in my life, I felt like a loser. I was so zombiefied that I didn't want to acknowledge my existence. Maybe that's how people who lose religion feel. Why'd you ask?"

"Because tonight is going to be the reality to my nightmare," Rory preceded her thoughts by making the statement. "I… I saw Tristin DuGrey in Full Monty and now I will never be able to take that visual out of my mind!"

Paris choked on her tofu strawberry shake. "Did I hear you right? Rory, you can't joke about something like that. You just dreamt that. Tristin DuGrey is not part of our vocabulary anymore. He is part of our past that's better left unmentioned."

Rory was amazed that Paris had finally learned to speak in the speed she was accustomed to hear from her mother. She knew that mentioning Tristin usually had that effect on the girl.

"Okay, I dreamt it,"� Rory implied with sarcasm. "But don't think for once that he isn't worth a Playgirl centerfold."�

"You're such a tease,"� Paris snorted. "Honestly, you've seen him in the buff? How good did he look? Sinewy? Hairy? Details; saturate me with details!"�

"How far do you want to go?"� Rory teased.

"Black hole far. I need some pornographic memories to keep me awake for cyberprof to keep me awake this afternoon,"� Paris responded in eager excitement. "Damn if I always thought it was perverted to think of him as hunk material when we grew up almost like siblings but after hearing stories from his conquests, I'd be lying if I said I didn't fantasize a bit."

"Ew, Paris!" Rory tried to stop her friend from talking.

"Is that what his name is? For sure I thought it was David," Tanh mocked. "Hard like stone..."

"Tanh, shut up!" the two girls yelled at him in chorus.

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Tristin looked at his watch for the millionth time that night while he passed the time sipping beers and playing pool at the Bar with a couple of the college students from the area.

He remembered approaching Tanh the moment he was able to take a break from posing. He was amazed at the number of women that circled around him but at that instant, their constant chatter was more of a nuisance than anything else.

He deferred questions he preferred not to answer. He cinched his robe loosely around his waist and marched purposefully to the two men at the corner. All he could hear behind him were sighs of disappointment.

"I knew he's too beautiful to be straight,"� one girl uttered.

"So, who was that girl that bolted out the door?"� Tristin rudely interrupted the two to get into the conversation.

Tanh was slack jawed. "Why?"

"Well, I just want to apologize to her if I offended her,"� he made up an excuse.

"Rory? Be Offended? Surprised, maybe. Offended, no,"� Tanh replied with his arms crossed in front of him.

"So that's her name? Rory?" he asked.

Tanh rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's Rory."

Tristin nodded his head and backed away. "I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation. If you see her around, can you pass along my apologies?"

The guy next to him, who identified himself as Alex, elbowed Tanh.

"We're going out for drinks this Friday at the Alchemy. You can tell her yourself,"� Tanh supplied the information. "Nine-ish?"

"I'd be there. Thanks," Tristin was glad for the invite. He hoped that the Rory they spoke of was one and the same.

"Hey buddy, it's your turn," the cocky blonde tapped him on the shoulder waking him up from his contemplation.

Tristin focused on the cue ball positioned awkwardly enough that he might have to scratch the striped ball in front of his solid ball. Taking the chalk, he rubbed the tip of his stick methodically before bouncing the cue ball on the sidewall to sink his ball on the opposite corner pocket to earn him the lead. One shot later, he cleaned out the table by sinking in the eight ball.

"Good game," the blonde slapped a crisp fifty-dollar bill on his chest. "Rack up another round?"

"Nah, I've got to head on out to the Alchemy. Can you tell me how to get there?" he asked.

"The Alchemy? That's for kids, dude." he said, shrugging. "Don't tell me you're here waiting for a blind date?"

"Well, it isn't that blind but something like that," Tristin tried to be vague, picking up his leather jacket that draped a seat.

"Tell you what, why don't we take you to the Alchemy and if your date blows, we can hang out at Lounge 215," his newfound buddy said.

"I'd appreciate that," Tristin said.

"By the way, my name's Logan."

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"Isn't it strange that we are in a club that has sponsored a Maxim Magazine party which I might add degrades women? Not to mention the factoid that our gay friend dragged us in here. Is there no end to our downward spiral to mediocrity?" Paris panted after grinding away with a handsome, albeit professor-looking man on the dance floor.

"Uhm, yeah," Rory said, not paying attention to Paris' rambling.

"Rory, you're ignoring me again." Paris said, chugging down the drink Rory was nursing in her hand.

"Hmm, and it's such a pleasant feeling after downing three island iced teas," Rory replied, her head swimming as she faced Paris.

That was when she saw Tristin emerge from the sea of club hoppers. He wore a black Ralph Lauren shirt that hugged him all in the right places. The mechanic pants he wore showed a hint of the boxers he wore underneath. All Rory could think of was skimming her fingers on top of the elastics that held the fabric in place.

Rory didn't know whether she lost her breath when she caught sight of Tristin or the fact that Paris had to point out to her that Tristin was approaching them.

"Rory, your blind date really is Tristin? That's…" Paris' voice trailed from her ears.

Almost like her body was refusing to take orders from her brain, Rory took determined steps towards Tristin to meet him half way.

"Rory?" Tristin barely got out of his lips before Rory crushed her lips against his like her life depended on it.


	3. Blame it on the Cuervo

CHAPTER 3

It wasn't like Tristin needed affirmation. True, he was surprised at Rory's reaction. All he was waiting for was a polite hello or a greeting that would condemn him to hell.

"She did not!" Tanh exclaimed, covering his mouth. He and Alex walked towards the lip locked couple. As soon as they got there, so did the posse Rory used to associate with what seems like a lifetime ago.

"Mary, if I knew this is the penance I get after all those years, I should've sought you out a long time ago," Tristin teased as soon as their lips parted.

As soon as she heard the forgotten nickname, Rory snapped back to reality, albeit fuzzy.

"Oh my God," Rory swore, trying to wipe the tingling feeling on her lips. She backed away, stumbling. She stared at the eyes that seemed to see through her before running away. What did she just do?

"Rory? Rory!" Paris called out after her. She stole a glance at Tristin before following Rory.

"Ace, if I knew that going on a blind date with you would get me to melt your ice princess image…" Logan Huntzberger sneered.

His voice still made her cringe. It's been a year and it still hurts to hear him say such spiteful words.

Tristin's eyes followed Rory and Paris who walked away like he was the plague. Uncanny, Tristin thought. It was the piano scene revisited, only six years later and in a club rather than a John Hughes-esque party.

"Man, if I knew your blind date was Rory Gilmore, I could've told you not to waste your time," Logan chuckled.

Tristin was getting short with the loudmouth blonde that he had to roll his eyes at him.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Tristin's bored tone bordered annoyance.

"Rory? She won't put out. You know, she's all tease. She dangles the candy but won't give you any sugar," Logan rattled off.

"Maybe you're just mistaking class over crass," Tristin defended his former classmate.

"You don't know her the way I do, buddy," Logan snorted.

Tristin didn't know what overcame him but before he could think twice, he landed a sucker punch on the pretty boy's face.

"Maybe I just do," Tristin said in a comeback.

Just like that, the fistfight erupted.

"I'm such an idiot!" Rory cried, locking herself in a stall. Nausea from the drinks and the mental image catching up with her was rising at the back of her throat.

"No you're not," the voice she knew too well chimed. "Okay, the long island ice teas made you and idiot but who isn't when they're drunk? At least you didn't come kissing me."

Rory reflected on what Paris stated. She sat on the covered toilet seat and then unlocked and opened the stall's door to look at Paris. "I knew I should've heeded mom's warning the first time she told me to stay away from those drinks."

"What did she do?" Paris asked to redirect Rory's attention away from her current paranoia.

"She called my dad on her bachelorette party," Rory confessed.

"When she was engaged to Mr. Medina?" Paris' eyes bugged out.

"Yeah. I think it's official that mom and I are off limits to any parties held by Jose Cuervo," Rory mumbled.

Tanh busting through the lavatory door interrupted the conversation.

"Quick, we have to jet out of here, pronto," Tanh panted.

Rory and Paris heeded the Asian's cryptic warning by bolting out of the restrooms immediately. They escaped through the side exit. Tanh guided Tristin out of the door by the wrist. Alex followed close by.

The group of five was about half a block away from the Alchemy when the lights and sounds of police cars filled the cold air.

"What did just happen there?" Paris inquired as they all took chopped, blocky steps on the snow-covered sidewalk.

"David here decided he can rearrange Logan's face," Tanh filled them in.

If there weren't enough jaw-dropping events left, Rory was astonished.

"Tell me you're lying and if it's true, say you caught it on tape," Paris threatened Tanh.

"Oh it happened. That's why the five-oh was called in," Alex defended Tanh.

"Talk about chaperoning," Tanh grumbled shooting daggers at Rory with his chinky eyes. "I thought I was the one that needed a little baby-sitting."

Rory returned Tanh's glare before talking to Tristin. "Not that I'm grateful but why did you, ah, punch Logan?" Rory asked. The frigid wind and the absence of her coat all of a sudden perked her up.

"I forgot to leave my chivalry card at home," he hissed. "You know, I love to continue on with this conversation but my hand is wickedly throbbing right now."

"Can it, Chewey. We're almost home," Paris hushed Tristin. "Nobody asked you to be Rocky in the dance club."

The march to the apartment was done in silence. Everyone tried to internalize what just happened. A smile spread on Rory's face. Tanh caught sight of it and started smiling, too. Before they got to the front door, everyone with the exception of Tristin was giggling with no apparent reason except for the individual mental pictures they individually conjured in their heads.

"That was a great sucker punch you landed on him," Alex chuckled.

"I wish I could've seen it," Paris confessed as she unlocked the door.

The quiet, warm apartment enveloped the group with open arms. Paris dropped her keys on the end table close to the entrance while the rest tapped the excess snow from their footwear before walking on the carpeted floor.

Tanh and Alex made themselves comfortable on the couch and turned the TV on. Paris marched into her room while Rory and Tristin were left standing, staring at each other.

Rory stared at Tristin's face for the first time since she kissed those soft pink lips she again focused on.

"Oh, you have a cut on your face!" Rory noticed, whispering before she grabbed him by the hand and led him to the kitchen.

"Take a seat," Rory ordered. She pulled out a bag of corn from the freezer and placed it on his swollen fist. She watched him flinch as the frozen bag tried to rid him of the throbbing pain.

Tristin did not speak the whole time. He watched her move efficiently in the small space, disappearing for a couple of seconds and reemerging with a box that he assumed was a first aid kit.

"Promise me you're going to sit still," Rory asked of Tristin.

"So, no 'hi', Mary?" Tristin teased.

"No, David," Rory mocked back.

"Touché!" Tristin chuckled. "Why does Tanh call me that?"

"Same reason you still call me Mary," Rory responded. "You know, I am not the same sweet, innocent girl you've always pictured me. Besides, get into a gay man's brain. You're smart enough to deduce why he calls you David."

Tristin pursed his lips, studying Rory from head to toe.

"So we've grown up," he pointed out the obvious.

"Thus not appropriate to have the nickname," Rory replied.

Taking his index finger to his lips Tristin proposed, "Alright. If you could promise me that Tanh stops calling me 'David', I'll drop the 'Mary' moniker."

"You've got yourself a deal," Rory beamed a smile at him.

Tristin was glad that he had made peace with Rory without acting like a child in front of her. Quietly, he watched her. As soon as he witnessed Rory take out a bottle of alcohol, cotton balls and butterfly band-aids, he squirmed on the dining room chair.

"You don't have to, Rory," he muttered, showing distain for the kit. "I'll be fine."

"Don't be a sissy," Rory scolded.

"Rory," he whined as the girl in front of him stole the air in his lungs.

"Hold still," she whispered as she sat on his lap, straddling him precariously.

Ever so slowly, Rory tipped the alcohol laden cotton swab on the cut Tristin got right over his cheekbone. He winced and Rory hissed in sympathy.

"I'm sorry. I know it stings," she said.

He stared at the vein that pulsated on the base of her neck. He got intoxicated with the scent of her perfume mixed with a scent that he knew was only hers. It didn't help that her touch was doing a number to his system. He can't. He can't break down this quickly after he had perfected putting up a wall around his heart not so long ago.

"I never got to say 'thank you'," Rory tried to alleviate the tense moment.

Tristin was surprised that he found his voice. "For what?"

"For giving Logan a knuckle sandwich," Rory chuckled. "I was contented ignoring him."

"I think I am aware of that cold shoulder routine," Tristin said. God, she smells so good. Even the lingering scent of long island iced tea on her lips made him crave her all over again. 'No, Tristin, no!' he said to himself.

"What's his problem anyway?" Tristin asked.

Rory dropped her arms while she stared away. She unconsciously scooted in closer towards Tristin's hips, close enough for him to feel the heat emanating from the apex of her thighs.

"He and I dated but nothing came out of it," she sadly said.

"Too much pressure?" Tristin hinted.

She focused right back on his deep blue eyes. "Something like that."

Rory turned around and picked up a tube of Neosporin and applied it over the cut. "I just got out of a bad relationship and Logan was a very accessible rebound boyfriend."

"Oh," Tristin mumbled.

"I think he thought I would be an easy lay or something but when I wouldn't get in the sack with him…"

"He became an ass about it," Tristin finished for her.

A lopsided smile appeared on the plane of her face. "He wouldn't drop the subject. Plus, I was starting to fall for another guy."

"Harsh!" Tristin said, shifting Rory's weight on his thighs.

"Well," Rory let out. "The fact that my guy best friend isn't really part of the cool crowd, I think, really was the topper."

"Are you referring to Tanh?" Tristin almost choked out.

"Blasphemy!" Rory said, slapping his arm playfully. "Nah. I was referring to Marty."

"What kind of name is Marty?" Tristin joked.

"The kind that put up with my crappy life for far too long," Rory confessed as she finished putting the butterfly band-aid over the nicked skin.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry," Tanh's voice broke the moment. The very compromising position Tanh witnessed was enough for him to close his eyes playfully. He witnessed his good friend, Rory; straddle one of the best-looking men Tanh had come across in a long time. If that wasn't enough, he was tickled pink that his David had his hands holding her in place, embracing the heart shaped bottom even Tanh was envious of.

The couple caught red-handed looked at Tanh.

"Come on, Tanh. You know there isn't anything going on," Rory cajoled him, getting off of Tristin's lap.

"Uh-huh, and I am not a fairy princess," Tanh responded, rolling his eyes at her as he walked towards the refrigerator and retrieved a few cans of soda.

Rory tossed the used first aid products in the trash bin before giving Tanh a kiss on the cheek. "You are the fairest of them all, Tanh."

"You're a doll," Tanh responded, kissing her back. "So, how does a Depp movie sound?"

"Fab," Rory said. "We'll be there in a few."

"Better, or we'll start without you. Paris is driving Alex crazy and I am tempted to just leave to avoid the Spanish inquisition," Tanh moaned.

"I promise," Rory chuckled.

"You coming?" Tanh directed his question to Tristin.

Tristin looked at Rory like he was asking a silent invitation from her.

"Go ahead. I'll be there in a moment," Rory said.

Tristin got up from the chair hesitantly before following Tanh out of the room. He deposited the bag of corn back in the freezer. "Thanks."

As soon as Rory was sure that Tristin wasn't anywhere around the immediate vicinity, she closed her eyes and knocked her forehead on the freezer door.

Most of the alcohol in her system had worn off and she was trembling. She appreciated the act of valor Tristin displayed but she knew that was just the start of her problems. Logan will continue to harass her and she isn't any closer to confessing to Marty the more-than-friends affection she's been feeling for him since her big argument with Logan over him.

And the eyes. Rory wasn't expecting to stare in those saucer blue eyes. The last time she stared at them this intently was when he said goodbye. They didn't part as enemies but she knew that they were in silent agreement to remain civil to each other. She was happy knowing their paths would have never crossed again.

Maybe she was more confused than ever. Maybe it was the alcohol still talking. Rory exhaled noisily and tucked the questions in the back of her head. Regaining her composure, she pulled out two drinks from the refrigerator and headed to the living room where the coffee table had been shoved up against the wall and four bodies laid on the carpet in various state or rest.

Silently, Rory offered Tristin a drink, which he took graciously. Paris scooted a bit to give Rory her own space on the floor. As soon as Rory made herself comfortable, the opening credits to the flick rolled on the hi-definition TV.


	4. Three Things Guaranteed

CHAPTER 4

Rory awoke startled. Aside from the fact that she caught her good friend staring at her with a wicked glint in his eye, she found her fingers tangled up with the hair on Tristin's lust line, an act only someone only intimate with him should be permitted to do.

She immediately withdrew her hand from the heated skin, sitting up so quickly that she saw stars. If that wasn't enough, she almost let out a squeal when the arm circling her waist tightened upon her movement.

"Tanh, you're up!" she stage whispered.

"Post action, yeah," he said, salaciously grinning at her.

Rory's response to him was a shade of crimson lightening up her creamy complexion.

"Anyway, Alex and I are taking off," he mentioned as her eyes wandered to Alex who was standing by the door, waving at her. "However, I want deets. No hold barred, x-rated deets."

"Fine," Rory promised.

"And if you think you can pull a fast one on me, you can't," he threatened playfully. "I will be grilling him on Wednesday."

"I get it!" Rory said, bugging her eyes out at Tanh to hush him. "Details, details."

Rory cautiously untangled Tristin's arm from her midsection before getting up. Both she and Tanh held their breaths as Tristin rustled in his sleep before letting her go.

"He is so cute," Tanh muttered.

"The jury is still out on that," Rory responded, also staring at the sleeping figure.

"So, what are you and David doing today?" Tanh hinted.

"I've not gotten that far yet. But if you keep on bugging me, chances of me doing something with David will be slim to none," she reminded him.

"Square!" he said before sticking his tongue out to her. "Ooh, it better be the nasty or else," Tanh harassed her. "Okay, if you don't at least pretend that you did. One of the three of us at least shouldn't be confined in a convent on our senior year of college," he amended.

"There is nothing wrong with celibacy," Rory said.

"Speak for yourself, sister. Some of us try to get as much action as we can," he said winking at her.

"Fine. We will be cavorting the moment you leave," Rory exaggerated giving him and Alex a hug. "Be safe."

"Bye, cakes," Tanh said before kissing her cheek and walking out the door.

Silence filled the room once more when Rory shut the door behind the guests that just left. Rory surveyed the room as she rubbed the sleep off of her eyes. She wanted to pretend that last night didn't happen but the evidence was before her: a non-combative slumbering Paris and a cocksure Tristin that had made himself comfortable on their apartment floor like he had done it so many times before.

She stared out of the window before tiptoeing her way around the living room floor to get to Paris who was ruining her suede floor pillows by drooling over it.

"Paris, Paris!" Rory shook her roommate to consciousness.

Paris, mid-snore, raised her head from the pillow. "What? I'm up."

"Shhh!" Rory pressed her finger against Paris' lips. "Tristin's still asleep."

"So why did you wake me up? Why are you up?" Paris grumbled.

"Because I had to see the Will and Jack off," she said.

"Oh," Paris said.

"Just wanted to know whether or not you'd want to go out for breakfast. My treat," she offered.

"On a Sunday? No thanks," Paris groaned. "If I didn't celebrate the Sabbath in a synagogue, I might as well do it in bed."

Paris got off the floor and stared at Tristin. "Don't you find it strange that the one person we are stuck with is the one person who became our tormentor in high school?"

Rory stared at Paris. "I think we woke up in purgatory this morning."

"And a lovely state that is," Paris said smugly. "Don't forget to bring home some Danish!"

Just like that, Paris retreated to the confines of the bathroom.

Rory was a little bit anxious to get the blonde up. Not knowing whether he is a morning person or not, she approached him as cautiously as she could.

"Hey, Tristin!" Rory shook his shoulder.

He didn't move.

"Tristin!" Rory called out, this time louder in a singsong voice.

Still, no action.

"Tristin," she shook him one more time before his eyes opened up.

"There better be a good reason for you to be getting me up in this god-awful hour," he muttered in the sexiest bedroom voice Rory had ever heard. Not even Marty who she had occasionally had to wake up from study sessions had ever given her goose bumps at the mere sound of voice.

"For starters, I think you'll end up with a real sore back if you continue on sleeping in that position and it really isn't a god-awful hour," Rory cajoled. "It's a little past ten."

She can't afford to show tell tale signs of his effect on her.

Tristin looked around and noticed the muted gray atmosphere. "But it looks like a good day to stay in bed."

"But you don't have a bed here," Rory said with such naiveté.

"But you do," he smirked.

Rory grinned. She walked into that knowing that Tristin was in double talk mode.

"Well, you can sleep in my bed if you want to. I am going out to get breakfast," she said, feigning ignorance to his subliminal message.

Tristin got up to a sitting position, hugging his legs. "Three things that are guaranteed: death, taxes and Rory Gilmore immune to my charm."

Tristin stretched out his hand to her to help him get on his feet. The distance that closed between them made both of them aware of a sexual tension that seemed to linger every time they butted heads. This time, it was unnerving.

Paris' singing in the shower broke the underlying tension. Both giggling, they took back each other's personal space.

"So, where are we getting breakfast?"

Half an hour later, Tristin found them sitting in Café Java, a few streets down from the Taft Apartments where Rory and Paris resided.

"Okay, humor me," Rory asked Tristin, biting into a cranberry-orange scone. "What are you doing posing nude in Yale?"

Direct. That was another thing Tristin knew intimately about the brunette. His eyes gazed at her over the rim of the coffee mug he slurped slowly.

"Do you want the truth?" Tristin fished.

"The more succinct, the better," Rory said, sipping the coffee in front of her.

"Remember why I got shipped to military school?" Tristin prefaced his story.

Rory nodded at him.

"I am pretty much in the same boat," he admitted.

"The part where your dad is going to be sending your name to the draft board?" Rory asked in ignorance.

"No, silly," Tristin laughed. "Getting in trouble. My dad can't do anything to me now that I'm twenty-one."

"So what kind of trouble did you get yourself into?" Rory questioned, leaning back on her chair.

"Pretty much smart mouthed my Humanities professor one too many times. My counselor had to pull a few strings to get my requirement fulfilled before graduating," he stated.

"Hmm," Rory mused. "That pretty mouth gets in trouble? No," Rory mocked, not realizing that she chose her words poorly.

"So you find my mouth pretty, eh?" he baited her.

"You know what I mean," Rory replied. "You know there are community colleges that would let you take humanities courses. The bonus is you get to keep your clothes on."

"But what's the fun in that?" he teased her. "Besides, I like knowing that I can contribute to the arts and pass my course without lifting a finger."

Rory masked her embarrassment by stuffing her mouth with the pastry.

"Now it's your turn," Tristin settled his mug on the tabletop. "What were you doing in that class? I thought you were Harvard bound?"

"Gramps convinced me to study in his alma mater. Plus, it's closer to home," she prattled.

"Logical," he deduced. "And the class?"

"Pure accident," she said. "I was supposed to lend moral support to Tanh. He was supposed to ask a letter of recommendation from the professor that day."

Rory looked into her purse for a second and stood up. "Wait here. I have to get more coffee."

Tristin stood up the same time she did, a habit he picked up from military school. He never understood why Miss Manners found it important to stand to give a woman leave but he did it and had become part of him unconsciously.

When she walked away, Tristin studied the gray clouds forming over the infrastructures around the café. Who would've thought that his past would catch up to him this way?

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked, putting a fresh cup of caramel latte in front of him.

"Just wondered about you," he stated in blatant honesty.

Blushing she continued her inquisition, "What about me?"

"Why you're not with the Marty dude you were talking about last night," he said.

Rory sat back on her seat, mulling over the question thrown at her. "It's complicated."

"Try me," he dared her, leaning up against the table, his elbows supporting him.

"Marty… is Marty," she stated. "He was known as the naked guy on our first year here in Yale."

"Sounds like a fascinating character," Tristin stated in amusement despite feeling sudden resentment for a person he had never met.

"He passed out in front of our dorm room after a huge party and I was first to recognize his state of undress so I loaned him my robe until he found his clothes or got back in his room. I don't remember now which he accomplished first."

"Love at first sight?" he quizzed. 'I know I was when I first saw you in Chilton,' his ego echoed the sentiments to his brain.

"No," she muttered. "I think it's one of those friends first kind of feelings."

"Ah," Tristin responded. He thought for a moment that maybe the friendship stage is one that he should attempt to avoid the catastrophic relationships he'd gone through in the last couple of years.

Rory had a sad smile as she reminisced. "I remember one time, Headmaster Charleston called me up to house this Chilton student and she pretty much ran away from me. Marty helped me find her." She paused. "After that, things were different."

The confession made Tristin smile. "That's when you fell in love with him?"

"Maybe… Subliminally. I started dating Logan and things between Marty and me became sticky because he used to bartend Logan's soiree. I apparently cannot socialize with help," she snorted.

"What would you say I'll make it my goal to see you dating him by the end of the semester," he swore.

"Yeah, right. Keep me posted on that," Rory replied while saying to herself, 'Liar!' "Anyway, it's too late. We're going to be graduating and I don't even know if we're going to be going to the same place afterwards."

Turning the tables, Rory started asking questions of her own. "How about you? Any current affairs?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," he leered.

"Tit for tat," she said.

Tristin didn't know what made him do it but he found himself milliseconds later confessing his recent state of being single.

"I just came out of a really bad relationship," he admitted.

"I'm sorry," she sympathized, grabbing his hand from across the table.

The warm comforting touch of her hand made Tristin's crystallized heart melt a little. "It's the past. Gotta move on, right?"

Rory couldn't help but notice the coldness in the eyes that earlier showed so much luster.

"What happened?" she inquired.

Tristin's thumb found comfort in making imaginary circles on Rory's knuckle. "Do you remember Summer?"

"Pretty girl you dated in our sophomore year Summer?" Rory asked in surprise.

Tristin grinned. "Wow, I didn't think you'd remember."

It was Rory's turn to blush. "We kissed the night you guys broke up."

"How could I forget?" he said softly knowing that night so well and how he wished he could've rewound the clock and gone after her.

Rory lowered her eyelids and tried to pull her hand away when Tristin's other hand decided to cover it like a trapped butterfly.

"Anyway, I was back two Christmases ago and we started seeing each other again. Right before I went back to Brown she told me she was pregnant," Tristin recalled the distant memory and how those same feelings made him really angry.

Rory gasped. She felt her throat constricting even if she coached herself that she didn't care.

"I almost didn't go back to school, Rory," his eyes flashed an anger she never thought he could surmise. "She told me Rodney was mine."

"You had a boy?" she whispered, her eyes tearing up.

"I was a fool," he said through gritted teeth. "I found out last Christmas that the kid wasn't mine."

Rory was speechless and she allowed him to rant.

"It was Austin's," he growled. "Anyone who says you can escape high school lied."

"Did you do a paternity test?" she inquired, not knowing why she even dared ask such an insensitive question.

"Yeah," he grumbled. "I was duped and I should've stopped caring a long time ago."

It was Rory's turn to put her other hand on top of his. "I don't think it's in your nature."

"You've gotten your wish somehow, Gilmore," he said sadly. "I've turned into a misogynist."

Baffled, Rory asked, "I never wished for you to become one."

"Hmm, but if only I didn't become a skirt chaser, I wouldn't have had karma bite me in the ass, right?" he said surly.

Rory didn't know what to say. "Tristin, I may not have liked you in high school but the day you took Paris out on a date because I suggested it made me look at you in a different light."

He looked at her with a funny gaze.

"Tell you what," she stated. "Let's make promises to each other. You promised me I'd be Marty's by the end of the semester. I promise you I'll help you fall in love in the same length of time."

Tristin sighed. "That's a tall order on your end, Rory."

"Stranger things have happened," Rory responded, surprised that her heart took a leap of its own.


	5. Past, Here's My Present

CHAPTER 5

Rory let out a nervous laugh after she realized what had just transpired between them. She might as well have promised Tristin the Holy Grail.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Tristin asked cautiously. The ambiguity in his tone made Rory apprehensive.

"I don't know," Rory admitted. "I vaguely remember having this conversation with you several years ago."

"And?" Tristin raised an eyebrow.

"And I don't think you've learned your lesson," Rory pointed at him with her stirring spoon. "I don't know why I am involved again!"

"Rory, there are a lot of things I didn't pay attention to in class," Tristin rolled his eyes at her lazily. "Besides, if I knew what you're talking about, I'd be the agreeing or disagreeing."

"Not everything learned comes out of a teacher's mouth, you know," Rory snorted, dropping the spoon loudly on the saucer.

A pause came between them. A light went off in Tristin's head and he smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead.

"Oh God, how could I forget?" Tristin groaned as he turned over Rory's hand. "To this day, I hope you can enlighten me as to why you said that Paris is dating material."

Rory watched in fascination as Tristin's index finger traced the lines on her palm. Stuttering, she said, "Well you said you were swearing off girls and I thought even for you, Paris would've been a better choice than Hannibal Lecter's mask."

"What did I really do to you to earn a date with her?" Tristin asked. His smile spread across his face.

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" Rory retorted. "Anyway, you could've really been nicer to her. She really freaked out that night."

He eyeballed her.

"What? She came to my doorstep with everything from her wardrobe barring her bat mitzvah dress!" she exclaimed.

"Paris? Freak?" Tristin laughed out loud. His finger still continued dancing on her hand.

"She really wanted to please you," Rory admitted.

"Well if I was privy to that information then," he prefaced.

"See? That's why I think you are not really against all women, great and brainless alike," Rory said, trying to steal her hand back from him.

She met resistance as Tristin grabbed it. "Rory, Machiavelli couldn't have written it any better: 'The ends justify the means'."

And as smoothly as the words slipped out of his lips, they came in contact with her skin. He didn't know why he did it but he was compelled to touch the soft flesh of her wrist with his lips.

She gasped not knowing how such a small act can make her break in cold sweat. It's not like she disliked the gesture. In fact, it was far from it.

Rory turned a lovely shade of rose underneath the porcelain white skin. "Well I suggested swearing off a certain type of girl and Paris definitely was not part of the circle I was suggesting."

"You know, I would've gone out with you if you just gave me a chance," he grumbled.

Rory's eyes looked up quickly to meet his gaze when a rush of cold air came through the open door.

THWACK!

And there he stood. Marty appeared on the door. He scanned the room quickly and before Rory could call out to him, a petite blonde appeared beside him.

She was rendered speechless despite Tristin's touch.

"Rory, you okay?" Tristin immediately asked her, feeling the tension in her hand.

Panicked, Rory just stared at Tristin.

"Hey, Rory!" another male voice interrupted their conversation.

It was Marty and in one fluid motion, he spun a chair around and sat by the table.

"Hi, I'm Marty," he smiled and offered his hand to Tristin.

"Hi," Tristin said as he dropped Rory's hand to take Marty's hand in his. "I'm Tristin."

"Nice to meet you," he said with a smile. "Oh, this is Kaylee."

All eyes focused on the girl standing beside Marty.

"Hi," she timidly responded. Her sweet voice carried a European accent.

"York?" Tristin asked.

"Not quite. Oxford," she giggled, taking a seat by Tristin.

Rory shifted uncomfortably on her seat before Marty stood up. "Can I get a refill for you?" he asked Rory.

"Sure," she smiled politely.

"How about you, Tristin?" he asked.

"I'm fine, thanks," Tristin replied as he covered the rim of his cup.

"Black tea, right?' he asked Kaylee and she nodded in agreement.

After that, he walked toward the counter.

Tristin studied the newcomer. He was tall, definitely over six feet. The tan coat he wore made him look broad. If it weren't for his introductions Tristin would've mistaken him for John Mayer.

"So," Rory broke the silence. "I'm Rory."

"Rory? It's great to finally meet you," Kaylee said, leaning forward across the table to give her a peck on the cheek like she was a long lost friend. "You just don't know how much I've heard Marty talk about you."

"Really?" Tristin led on as he casually leaned back against his backrest. "Is that good or bad?"

Kaylee blushed. "Good. All good. I wish a guy gushed over me like he does over you," Kaylee directed her attention to Rory.

It was Rory's turn to blush. "Stop."

"Why?" Tristin challenged her. "Afraid to take a comment from the third party?"

Before Rory could answer, Marty appeared with a tray of steaming cups.

"Alright, what are you guys talking about? My ears were burning while I was getting the drinks," Marty teased.

"I was just telling Rory here how much you like her," Kaylee said sweetly as she milked her tea.

"What?" Marty choked on his drink. He blanched at the thought of Rory hearing about the things he told Kaylee about her.

"I'm sorry. Agh! I need to be flogged," Kaylee was all of a sudden embarrassed. "I feel like the biggest bugger at this point."

Tristin, the gentleman he is, wrapped his arm around Kaylee to comfort her. He gave her the infamous DuGrey stare before talking to the group. "A healthy dose of truth once in a while is refreshing."

"Speak for yourself, DuGrey," Rory mocked, dropping her gaze from him. Rory was annoyed that Tristin got under her skin on the drop of a hat.

Coughing politely, Marty interjected. "So Tristin, haven't seen you around campus."

"I don't go to Yale," Tristin replied after taking a sip of his drink. "Well, not until recently."

"Really? How so?" Marty asked.

"He's the man in the buff in Tanh's class," Rory muttered.

Marty's eyes bugged out. "Don't tell me you had to rescue another naked man."

"Yes!" Rory replied, exasperated. "I mean, no… I mean I accompanied Tanh to one of his classes last week and I saw him. I haven't seen him since junior year of high school."

Marty was skeptical.

It was Tristin's turn to laugh. "I was naked on my own volition. She just happened to stumble at my disrobing."

Rory laid her head on the table dramatically. "I did not stumble when I saw you!"

"Come on now, Rory. Admit it. You wanted me since high school," Tristin teased.

"So you guys went to high school together? That's cool!" Marty replied. "I wondered if there was someone else in Rory's high school other than Paris."

"He's the ass who referred to me as 'Mary'," Rory sighed, regaining her composure.

"Excuse me if the moniker isn't appropriate any more," Tristin tried baiting Rory.

"Ah, the infamous Mary caller," Marty sighed. He remembered the tale when Rory complained about Logan calling her 'Ace' the same way Tristin called her 'Mary'.

"I'm sorry," Kaylee interrupted. "But you lost me at 'naked'," Kaylee directed her question to Marty.

"That's how I met Rory," Marty clarified. His cheeks turned a lovely shade of crimson. "I- she offered me her robe when she found me sprawled out and naked in front of her dorm room on our freshman year."

"You sot! I ought to tell Jennifer!" Kaylee said in jest, slapping her purse on his arm.

"Tell my sister and I promise you I won't baby sit you while you're in town," Marty warned, shooting her a playful glare.

"Oh yeah. What are you doing here? College?" Tristin asked.

"Unfortunately, not. My grandmother is going through radiotherapy at Brown Medical Center," Kaylee revealed.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Rory sympathized.

"That's okay. If grams handles the next round of therapy, I'll be headed back to England," she said. "I took a sabbatical from the Repertory."

"Study at Oxford?" Rory asked.

"No. She's with the Birmingham Royal Ballet," Marty said proudly.

Both Tristin and Rory were impressed. "Wow!" they said simultaneously.

"It's not much," she blubbered. "I'm just part of the ensemble."

"Still. I have two left feet!" Rory said. "So how did you get saddled with a lug like Marty?"

The mere mention of his name made the petite woman blush. "His sister is my best friend."

"Jen told me that she was around the area so I decided to play big brother," Marty clarified the situation.

"Aw, how nice of you," Rory sighed.

"On that note, I hate to say this but I have to head on back," Kaylee regretted saying.

Everyone got up from the table.

"Well then, I shall take you home," Marty sighed. "Rory, if we're studying tonight, I might be a little late."

"Well, where do you live, Kaylee? I could drop you off," Tristin offered. "I live near the Brown campus."

Rory all of a sudden felt jealous that the blonde was getting all the attention.

"That's awfully nice of you," she said, smiling sweetly. "I live in Pawtucket."

"Close enough," Tristin said. "Marty, do you mind if I drop your friend off?"

The group walked out of the café and headed towards the parking lot where Tristin parked his car.

Marty and Kaylee exchanged glances before taking Tristin up on his offer. "If it's not that much of a hassle."

"With a pretty girl like this? How could I resist?" Tristin flirted with Kaylee. "Race you down to the corner of the street."

Her eyes lit up in excitement. "You're on!"

And off they went, leaving Marty and Rory alone to stroll the icy sidewalk.

"Whatever Kaylee said, it's an exaggeration," Marty let out a half apology.

"What do you think did Kaylee say?" Rory asked, fishing Marty for information.

Marty froze for a moment. "I don't know. Knowing her, she'd say something she has no clue about. She's trouble."

"She's sweet," Rory said.

"Like a little sister," he mocked.

A very excited Kaylee interrupted the stroll.

"Marty! Marty! You have to check this bloke's car," Kaylee squealed.

"Kay, you've lived in England for seven years. You cannot keep calling guys 'blokes'," Marty reprimanded her. The look of irritation marred his handsome face.

"Well, don't piss on my parade. Look!" she exclaimed.

As they got around the corner, even Marty groaned at the sight that took his breath away.

Then, Rory started laughing. "Travel inconspicuous, don't we?"

Tristin still had the same car he had in high school. The 911 Targa Porsche sat on the parking lot in its full glory.

"It's my baby," he defended the silver car. It took him a lot of bargaining to get the car from his father after he was banished to military school.

"Hmm, in more ways than one." Rory teased. The car was a point of contention that night Summer broke up with Tristin.

"Anyway," Tristin shot Rory an evil eye. "Nice meeting you, Marty."

He extended an open hand to him.

"Likewise," Marty said, gripping Tristin's hand.

"Say, we should go out sometime," Tristin suggested the open invitation. "You know, as a group."

Rory bugged her eyes out at Tristin like she was telling him to stop with the request.

"Sure," Marty said nonchalantly.

"How about this weekend?" Tristin asked, fishing his keys out of his pocket.

Marty's eyes widened. "I don't know." His sight vacillated between Tristin and Kaylee.

"Come on now, Marty. I promise you Tristin will enlighten you with my boring teen years," Rory mocked. She couldn't believe that she was participating in this madness.

"Please?" Kaylee pleaded as her hand was on the passenger seat door.

"Yeah, come on," Rory coaxed. She clung to Marty, looping her arms through the crook on his side.

After a few more pleas, Marty finally gave in. "Fine, fine."

"Whee!" Kaylee said with glee. "Come and give me a kiss before I go."

Marty dropped Rory's arm and walked towards Kaylee. At the same time, Rory reciprocated the same act to Tristin.

"I hope you know what you're doing here," Rory whispered in his ear.

"Relax, babe. When have I let you down?" He whispered back, only he punctuated his promise with a lingering kiss on her temple.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Rory muttered under her breath as she watched him slip into the driver's seat and drive away from their sight.


	6. Great Expectations

CHAPTER 6

_AN: Thanks for all the reviews. I know I've been slow but things came up. I know you all understand._

_This chapter is dedicated to Kayels (sooty7sweep). Happy birthday, chum!_

"That's it? He promised you Marty," Tanh deadpanned Rory. "Both of you are officially insane!"

This was what Rory was greeted with when Rory revealed the dilemma both she and Tristin were bound to. At this point, she would've preferred hearing Tanh sing the praise and wonder of his favorite band, Coldplay.

"It's a strange bargain," Rory admitted. "But I am not going to let Tristin be a spiteful man."

"But why Marty?" Tanh asked, mortified. "It's like wanting to date you brother. Yeah, he's good looking and all but you guys know each other too well to be... you know."

"That's exactly my point!" she exhaled loudly. "I doubt that Dickens had us in mind when he wrote 'Great Expectations'." Rory had felt that she and Marty just never had the right timing. Honestly, she was too preoccupied with herself to include Marty in her life especially in the more-than-friends aspect.

"Why not Tristin, huh? He's not painful to look at. He definitely defended your honor by handing Logan a well-deserved knuckle sandwich. Why can't you convince him to fall for the likes of you so that you won't be lonely and he'd be cured of his female hang-up?" Tanh suggested, planting a fist on his hip.

"There is nothing wrong with Marty. He's a nice guy!" she defended her study partner.

"Marty, Marty, Marty," Tanh said in a whiny voice. "You're starting to sound like Jan. Well, if incest is your thing, rock on, sister!"

"Okay, someone watched a little too many Brady Bunch reruns," Rory muttered under her breath.

"All I'm saying is, you're letting prime male booty slip away," Tanh warned.

"There's too much history between him and me," Rory grumbled too quickly. She didn't want to admit to herself that she was scared witless if she even tried falling for the likes of him. "Besides, he's cut from the same cloth Logan is. Again, once bitten-twice shy."

"Honey, I can convert him to the dark side," Tanh leered, raising his eyebrows in malice.

"Tristin's a misogynist not desperate," Rory chortled.

As their conversation wavered to something less exciting, a knock on the door was heard.

"Come in!" both Rory and Tanh called out.

Marty stuck his head in and greeted the two. "From the sound of the two of you bellowing, I figured you weren't studying in my room."

Embarrassed that he might have heard their topic of conversation, Rory got on to her feet and grabbed her books. "Sorry. I just had to-"

"You know you don't have to explain anything to me," Marty chuckled, oblivious to her sudden nervousness. "You coming over for pizza tonight?" he directed his question to Tanh.

"Maybe, if I get to wash the paint off of my hair," he exaggerated.

Rory was a step behind Marty when Tanh stopped her.

"Hey, think about what we just discussed," he warned Rory. "I don't like mending broken hearts, especially yours."

"I will," Rory said softly before closing the door behind her.

"Hey, I saw Logan today," Marty said almost immediately after she shut Tanh's door. "He's sporting this new make up called 'black eye'. I want to shake the hand of the person who introduced it to him."

"You already did," Rory said off-handedly before hooking her arm around his.

.xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The conversation Rory had with Tanh stuck to her head like superglue. That Wednesday, she made sure to avoid all paths that would've allowed her a potential Marx moment with her former classmate. The mere thought that the idea of them being more than friends made Rory overly cautious, almost jumpy when Saturday rolled around.

"I think Tristin is crazy to think that Scoozzi's going to let us in dressed like this," Marty inferred as they sat on the hood of his champagne colored Honda Civic.

"Something tells me he has something up his sleeve," Rory commented.

"You know I was really hesitant about this- 'date'," Marty muttered, a half smile formed on his soft lips. "The last time we did something like this, it turned into a major disaster."

He was referring to the eventful outing two years ago when the night ended with him owing her a seventy-five dollar tab and her breaking his heart. She still felt guilty that she didn't handle his confession to her with more finesse.

"Do you want to call it off? I can give Tristin a ring," Rory offered. It was a good excuse to help settle the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

"Nah. He's already picked up Kaylee," Marty responded as his eyes shifted in the lamp lit parking lot.

Rory looked at her boot covered feet. "Yeah, his just that kind of guy." 'The kind that can likes cute girls that would devote their whole attention to him,' Rory added subconsciously.

She was surprised to hear those words reverberate in the corner of her mind. Even to her, the accusation was a low blow. True, she felt that Tristin needed a taste of his own medicine but she was a creature of habit. She knew that even in a world where inequality is the norm, the likes of the Tristin of her past had a purpose. She can't see Tristin as an adversary but as a friend in dire need of rescuing.

"Do you regret agreeing to this little shindig?" Marty asked.

"Well, I'm glad we've finally gone out again," Rory pointed out. "I missed us hanging out."

"I missed it, too," Marty admitted.

They shifted closer to each other. "I'm glad we straightened that out," Rory whispered.

"Me, too," Marty replied.

Their heads inched towards each other. His lips hovered over hers. Their lips were about to fuse when a loud car door slamming echoed in the cold night. Like two guilty teens, both jumped apart from each other.

"Are we late?" the familiar voice rang in the air. It was Tristin and he looked impeccable even in casual clothes. Dressed like a walking Hollister ad, he carried an air of arrogance only he could muster. Rory swallowed the sight of him. And then, she noticed Kaylee's small hand tucked safely in his.

"No, no. Right on time," Marty answered, getting up from hood of the car.

"I'm sorry. I was running behind," Kaylee apologized. Her blonde hair cascaded over her tan pea coat, making her an image of perfection. Her legs were encased in a pair of pink tights that matched her barely-covering-her-fanny skirt. If that wasn't enough her dainty feet were covered in calf-high boots that even her mother would covet without a second thought.

"Don't worry about it. Let's get in before we all turn into popsicles," Rory suggested before tearing her eyes away from the beautiful couple.

"So, let's?" Tristin invited the crowd.

Hesitantly, Rory and Marty trudged towards the restaurant's doors.

"Where are you headed?" Tristin asked, a glint of mischief twinkled in his eye.

"Dinner?" Rory assumed.

"Nah. That's not the cuisine I had in mind," he said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Less than two miles later, the four of them found themselves sitting on laminated seats and cigarette burn marked tables. The boisterous atmosphere made the trek to the bowling alley worthwhile. Tristin and Marty were halfway through a game of pool when their food arrived.

"This would be the death of me," Tristin chortled as he bit into the burger, the juice running down his fingers.

"These fries suck but I won't have it any other way," Kaylee proclaimed as she popped a fry in her mouth.

"I am rather surprised that you are chowing down on that," Marty said. "You're always watching what you eat. You're too skinny."

"It's part of the job. I can't go back to the Academy too heavy for the cavalier to pick me up!" she argued, pointing a fry at Marty.

"I wish I had your commitment. I have been raised on bad food from day one," Rory chuckled.

"I like it though. Made you different from all the other girls," Tristin commented on Rory's eating habit.

"You watched me while I ate? Ew, gross," Rory said, mortified at the thought.

"If you only knew, Mary," he chuckled.

"Well I can tell you she's no Mary," Marty replied under his breath.

Rory took her balled-up paper napkin and threw it on the lanky man. "Shut up, Marty! Unless you really want me to shove a boot up your…"

"Now, now, no need for violence," Kaylee interrupted, as she almost choked on her food. " I can tell you a few juicy details about our innocent Marty here."

"Marty? Evil? Surely, you jest," Rory's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Right before my family and I left for Europe, Marty came over to drop Jen off at my place. I think he just got his driver's license," she started saying.

Marty had a look of confusion plastered on his face, trying hard to recall the event Kaylee was talking about.

"Anyway, a bunch of my girlfriends were already there and were running out through the hallway…"

"Oh, no, you're in so much trouble!" a moment of clarity reached Marty who suddenly lunged toward Kaylee to cover her mouth. Instead, a giggling Kaylee got up and ran around the pool table, farthest from Marty's reach.

Tristin and Rory were already laughing without hearing the rest of the story. The chase was amusing as it was. Rory felt Tristin shift his seat closer to her. Her heart skipped as he draped his arm around her shoulder.

"And all of a sudden, he was sporting a boner!" she declared, a salacious smile breaking on her face.

"You are so getting it!" Marty swore as his blood flushed his face.

"Did I tell you every one in that room was dressed in bathing suits?" Kaylee added as the couple ran around the table like Tom chasing Jerry.

"My, my, Marty. I thought you were the candidate for sainthood!" Rory responded, rolling in laughter.

"I wasn't sporting a boner," he clarified. "I was just…"

"Sporting a boner," Kaylee finished his sentence. "He was so flustered he dropped the car keys twice, started muttering the periodic table under his breath and when he finally got back to the car? He put the car in reverse rather than drive and almost ran over the mailbox!"

"I am ruined!" Marty groaned. He got back to his seat and hid his face behind his hands. Tristin and Rory's loud laughter died down as Kaylee finally walked up to Marty and hugged him from behind.

"But you were so sweet about the whole incident," Kaylee admitted. "Truth be told, we staged the whole thing. You were voted the hottest brother among the girls."

Rory smiled. She was so touched by her confession that she sought Tristin's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Tell me that you have a horrendous story or two under your belt," Marty groaned as his secured Kaylee's hands around his neck with his.

"Too many to mention," Tristin admitted. "However, before we start airing out dirty laundry, why don't we start a game?"

"A game of what?" Rory asked.

"Bowling. We're in an alley, aren't we?" Tristin pointed out.

"Yeah," Rory replied in hesitancy.

"Scared?" he posed.

"I've never bowled," she admitted.

"What?" he replied in surprise. "Were you ever a kid?"

"What do you mean?" she demanded an explanation while her cheeks turned a lovely shade of cherry red.

"Nothing," he chuckled, kneeling in front of her. "I'll teach you."

And that he did. After they secured a lane, Rory watched Marty glide and throw his ball. Strike. Kaylee stepped up. She wiggled her little behind. Rory noticed the glances the men made and she snickered. She, too, rolled a strike.

"You're next," Tristin whispered in her ear.

"C'mon, Rory. Show us what you got," Marty cheered her on.

Rory picked up the marble ball and held it close to her chest.

"Alright, don't forget to breathe," she heard him say. His breath on her ear made the hair on her nape stand on its ends.

"I am!" she defended herself.

Before she knew it, his arms went around her. His left hand was on her waist. His right hand just pressed itself lightly over hers. She could feel his chest lean against her back, spreading a delicious heat she didn't mind feeling.

"Now, just take a step here," he glided her like they were on the dance floor. "On your second step, swing," his other foot guided hers as she took the step and guided her arm and wrist. "Now, let go!"

She let the ten pound ball slip from her fingers. As she feared, she rolled so lightly that her ball sailed halfway through the lane before rolling off to the gutter. A goose egg appeared next to her name.

"One more, Rory. Good try!" Kaylee cheered on from the seats.

Rory smiled at the blonde and waited for her ball to return to her. She flashed Tristin a weary smile.

"You know you can quit if you want to," Tristin tried to comfort her. His hand rested lightly over her wrist.

"I'll be fine, teach," she said. On that note, she reached for her ball and mechanically threw the heavy object. Landing with a loud 'thunk', the ball rolled in the lane knocking out three pins.

"Good try!" Marty yelled out, handing her a high five.

Tristin took his spot on the dotted line. He drove a curved ball on the lane, leaving a 7-10 split.

"Come on, baby. Don't get yourself a touchdown," Marty hollered to Tristin.

"How about I pick up the split and you owe me a brewskie," Tristin bet.

"You're on!" he agreed.

Tristin winked at Rory as both girls cheered Tristin on. He positioned his ball in front of him and in one explosive move, he hauled the ball with so much speed that the pin on the seventh spot ricocheted on the tenth pin and bounced around even when the pin setters were coming down.

Cheers went around and Tristin shook Marty's hand.

The whole night, they bowled three games. Exes, slashes and zeros littered the scoreboard. The last game they played, they all bowled granny-style, stealing glances from the other patrons of the establishment. In the end, Kaylee won the game with an average score of 120. The boys were not far behind her.

"So, did this sour your chances of returning to a bowling alley?" Marty teased Rory who scored a measly average of 68.

"Nope," she said, hanging on to the arm that dangled around her. "Just means I will be a spectator the next time I show my face here."

"Oh, Rory. You'd get better. I promise. You just need to get some practice," Kaylee added, looping her arm around hers.

"See? All you need is a little help from your friends," Tristin said walking beside Kaylee.

Rory had mixed feelings as they walked out of William Bowling Alley. She liked the way she fit right next to Marty but at the same time, she found her thoughts wandering to the blonde escorting Marty's little sister's friend.

They all walked back to the parking lot that wasn't as fully occupied as they left it.

"So, I guess this means the night's over?" Tristin asked.

"Sadly, I have to get back. Nana will be expecting me back and I hate having her wait up," Kaylee admitted, wringing her hands.

"That's okay," Tristin said, clicking the remote to his car.

"I'll take it from here, Tristin. Mimi wants me over for breakfast so I'll just sleep over there," Marty said.

"Mimi?" Rory guffawed.

"She doesn't want me calling her 'grandma' so Mimi stuck. I have been doing some stuff for her every once in a while. Keeping a permanent overnight bag there had saved me a few times," he explained.

"Well, that's cool, man," Tristin said. "I guess I can stand hanging out with this kid for a few more minutes," he referred to Rory who punched him as he made the remark.

"You better take care of her. I just might want to take her out on a date later on the week," Marty hinted to Tristin.

"We'll do," he promised. "Be safe, Kaylee," Tristin kissed the girl on the cheek.

"Good night, Tristin," Kaylee said. "I hope this isn't our last meeting."

"I promise it won't be, angel," he said.

Marty hit the horn with three short blasts before turning away from the street. As they disappeared, Rory pretty much pushed Tristin up against his Porsche.

"Do you think he meant what he said?" Rory asked in excitement. She pressed herself closely to him that mere contact made him forget to breathe.

"I hope so. I'd hate to see what you'd do to me if he was lying," Tristin teased as he held on to Rory loosely on the hips.

Rory dropped her gaze, her smile still lingering. "I just didn't want to look like a dolt in front of him."

"You didn't," Tristin reassured her as he held her hand.

The walk from Chapel Street to the Taft Apartments was slow and relaxing. They talked about the highlights of the evening and laughed as they recalled it.

"You know we could've parked a little closer," Rory elbowed Tristin.

"But what fun would that be if you guys figured out where we were going?" he defended himself.

Before a rebuttal escaped Rory's lips, Tristin announced, "We're here."

Rory looked up and gazed at the building. They walked in to the big building barely making a sound. They stood silently in the middle of the open space before Rory offered, "Would you like to come in for a drink?"

Tristin hesitated. He pursed his lips, almost painfully responding, "Not tonight but thanks."

Rory was a bit disappointed with his response. "I guess this is good night then?"

"Yeah," he replied.

Rory tiptoed to give him a peck on the cheek. He bent slightly to receive the present.

Slowly, Rory recoiled and went up the steps. Tristin watched her until she was about halfway to the third floor before trudging out the glass doors.

"Tristin!" she called out to him.

He looked up and saw Rory beaming him a smile.

"I had a great time tonight. We should do this again," she suggested.

"As you wish!" he replied before escaping to the night.


	7. You Lost Me In The Translation

CHAPTER 7

"At the rate you're studying, you and I are bound to flunk midterms," Marty chuckled, taking a seat next to Rory on the picnic bench and table set that took a large section of his single man dorm room.

Rory stared at the bedside clock that just rolled on to nine o'clock. It was a cold Tuesday night and she was in no mood to hit the books.

"You and me fail? Ludicrous," Rory denied as her heart skipped a beat as she faced Marty.

She and Marty came up with a system in their sophomore year of college to split the reading assignments and share notes in all the classes they had together. As much as she wanted to bust out of the old college walls, this moment she shared with Marty was one she would miss the most.

"You have been tapping the same page for the last half hour. The History of Communication is interesting but not worth concentrating that hard on," he chuckled, cupping her shoulder before getting up.

"Want a soda?" he asked while looking at the contents of his little refrigerator.

"Please," Rory sighed. She dropped the pencil on the book she was taking notes from and dragged herself away to the couch parking her behind in front of the TV.

"Here you go," he handed the open can of Vanilla Coke.

Rory took the can graciously. Almost simultaneously she reached out for the remote and started channel surfing. One thing she took pleasure in was going through the screens as quickly as she could without having Paris remind her she had television ADD.

"So, give me the 411 on Tristin," Marty ordered as he reached for her legs and draped it over his thighs.

"Tristin? What about him?" Rory asked. For once, she was grateful that she shaved her legs. Having him run his hands over her shins made her stutter.

"Do you think he likes Kaylee?" he asked.

Rory's heart plummeted. How could he touch her and then think of another girl?

It had been two weeks since the foursome got together as a group and Rory couldn't be any more pleased at pace of the events that unfolded around the newly formed group. With Rory's frequent trips to Stars Hollow and Marty's job with the caterer, Tristin appointed himself to be Kaylee's companion when he was able to spare the time. Rory frequently found Marty in a state of discomfort when Kaylee would update him with her escapades with DuGrey. Rory ended up reassuring her friend whenever such moments arose.

"As a friend? I think so," Rory mumbled.

"That's good," he sighed. "I really don't know him and I just want to know that he's not going to hurt her… I have to play big brother if he did her wrong, you know. He's a great guy and I don't want to end up punching him out or something."

Somehow, Marty stumbled through those words, blushing as he tried to correct himself.

Rory smiled wanly. "Tristin really isn't a bad guy."

"If Tristin is such a great guy, why aren't you snagging him yourself?" Marty teased.

"Well," it was Rory's turn to blush. "I've got to swim outside the Hartford gene pool."

Marty laughed out loud, alternating between running his hands over her legs and massaging her sock covered feet. Rory's heightened senses made he cozy up to her couch buddy.

"Anyway, I am not the DuGrey type, if you get my drift," Rory took another swig of her soda. "His family is influential and neurotic. The two of us together is like trading proverbial baggage within the same circles. But other than that, Tristin's actually very smart. He's mischievous and pretends not to care but he does."

Almost instantly, Rory forgot that Marty existed. Her thoughts wandered, to Tristin and the past they shared.

"Who are you trying to convince that he's a good guy? You or me?" Marty broke her reverie.

"Just identifying the heroes, buddy," she responded, a little slow in recovering from her daydream.

"Alrighty. Something's bugging you. Out with it," Marty tried to coax out a better answer from Rory.

"Nothing's bugging me!" she exclaimed.

"Bull," he called her bluff.

"What do you think about mandatory wearing of T-shirts in beaches to prevent melanoma?" Rory inquired, changing the subject.

"You, are a butthead," he enunciated each word while tickling the soles of her feet. Laughing out loud, the two got up and started chasing each other in the enclosed space. They stopped running after each other when Marty's next-door neighbor pounded on the wall. Rory gave him one good shove before settling back on the couch.

"Kay called today and said Mimi's doing great. At the rate she's improving, Kay said she probably would be going back to England sooner than she expected," Marty related to her.

"So is that good or bad?" Rory asked.

Marty got lost in his thoughts for a moment. "I don't know. I will miss her, definitely."

"Yeah," Rory replied as she leaned against his shoulder. "Bet that would be hard since you've hung out with her a lot the last couple of weeks, huh?"

A pause filled the void between them. Out of the blue, Marty asked, "Hey, Rory, would you like to go out to dinner next Saturday?"

.xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Tristin was more than preoccupied when he stuck his arm through the armhole of his shirt. Rory called him up the night before asking him to meet up with her before he headed back to Brown. Maybe he should've realized that something was amiss.

"_Guess what just happened?" Rory greeted him, giddy with excitement._

"_What?" he asked. He welcomed the distraction as he took off his glasses and laid them next to his laptop. It was almost eleven and he wasn't getting anywhere with his writing homework. "Tanh realized he's actually straight?"_

"_God, no," Rory guffawed. "If that ever happened, I'd quit college and have myself committed to an asylum."_

_Tristin hadn't laughed out loud in a long time. "Alright, I give. What just happened?"_

_Rory stalled in giving him the good news. "Ooh, before anything else, what do you think of Kaylee?"_

"_Kaylee? What does she have to do with your news?" he queried._

"_Because I want to know that you're not really that against girls… still," Rory clarified._

"_Kaylee's cool," he admitted. "I won't kick her out of bed if she offered."_

"_That's the DuGrey I know," Rory mocked despite a twinge of jealousy pricking her. "Can I infer that you have recovered from a broken heart?"_

"_What do you want me to say?" Tristin tried to eke an answer from her. "Besides, I am not recovering from that stupid malady. Trust is the issue, not the ability to have a heterosexual partner next to me."_

"_I just want you to say that you're happy and that… you'd forget Summer," Rory mumbled quickly._

'_Easier said than done,' Tristin said silently. "Happy?" he snorted. "That's the last thing I'd ever hear from you, Gilmore."_

"_Hey, I have to live up my end of the bargain, right?" Rory sighed. "Walk me to class tomorrow after Tanh's class."_

"_Fine," he promised before hanging up. He rubbed his eyes as he reflected on the conversation he just had with the perplexing nymph._

"_Damn it!" he exclaimed. "She didn't tell me what just happened!"_

He walked out of the dressing room, looking around. He was the last person left in the room. Alone. He sighed.

"Might as well not postpone the inevitable," he muttered under his breath.

He didn't know what to expect but there she was, leaning up against the wall, talking to Tanh. She had a few books cradled in her arms, her coat almost dragging on the cold tile. She was fully immersed in whatever Tanh was telling her at that moment.

"Well, Alex was getting too possessive this early in the relationship," Tanh continued on as he rolled his eyes. "So, I said we're over."

"Hi," Tristin interrupted apologetically. He wondered why he all of a sudden felt like an intruder.

Rory smiled at him. If he wasn't mistaken, he saw her hold her breath, albeit rather quickly. The coquettish deed, no matter how innocent it was, made the butterflies in his stomach flutter so hard that it made him queasy.

"Tristin!" she greeted. With a spring to her step, she lunged towards him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Tristin blushed. "What was that for?"

Rory leaned her head up against his shoulder, wrapping her arm around his bicep. "Because I snagged me a date with Marty and it's all because of you."

Somewhere deep inside, he should be patting himself on the back for doing what he was supposed to do. However, he felt more than rotten when he heard her voice, dreamy in thought. And he knew it wasn't him she was thinking about.

His voice was caught in his throat. It was bound to happen. He just thought it wouldn't happen so soon.

"Congratulations," he choked out. The smile that spread on his lips didn't quite match the lackluster in his eyes. "It's about damned time he picked up on the cues."

His fingers sought her hand and raised her soft hand to his lips to kiss.

"Yeah, but you helped accelerate the process," she said.

Tristin wasn't sure why he still walked her to her class. He should run away—and fast.

"Oh! Classes are cancelled," Rory sighed as she read the posted note.

"Snow? I thought the nor'easter wasn't supposed to come in until tonight?" Tristin read the note alongside Rory. "Damn, I had a test this afternoon, too," he mumbled. Not that he cared about the test but Rory's news just didn't make it convenient for him to linger in a place that made him feel claustrophobic.

Tristin briskly walked across the hallway to the window facing the parking lot. He remembered walking in the campus with nary a snowflake in sight. Now, he can't even pick out his car from the lot even if his life depended on it.

"Guess, you're going to be stuck here for a few more hours," Rory commented as she took her space right next to him. "Are you okay?" she asked in a timid voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," his morose response muffled as he ran his hand over his mouth.

"It's really not that bad here, you know," Tanh realized the sudden tension between the two. "Push comes to shove, you guys can spend the night over at my room. It would be a big slumber party."

Tristin closed his eyes and counted to ten. He just needed to think. "I'm sorry. I just have a lot of things in my mind and being stranded here isn't making things any better."

"Is there anything we can help you out with?" Rory eagerly volunteered her services to him.

"I just need to make a few calls," he admitted after a few seconds.

"Alright," Tanh conceded, grabbing Rory by the wrist. "Hey, if you decide that you want to hang out, we're going to be at the auditorium." Tanh ripped a page off of his notebook and wrote down directions. "Dining hall's down there," he directed.

Tristin was a little embarrassed by his sudden display of panic. "Thanks." He crumpled the piece of paper and shoved it in his pocket. "Why the auditorium?"

"I'm making the poster for 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'," Tanh admitted with pride.

Tristin made a small "o" with his mouth before he saluted them away. Slowly, he pivoted on his right heel and strode away from them.

Rory was confused and looked at Tanh to give her an explanation of sorts.

"Don't worry, he'll be back," Tanh reassured her as he linked his arm around hers. "Now let's go get us something to eat."

.xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Did I do anything wrong?" Rory finally asked as she looked up from her book. She was sprawled over the bed prop on stage while Tanh took various shots of the stage for the play's advertisement.

"You? Do anything wrong? No!" Tanh said acerbically.

"Now what was that supposed to mean?" Rory asked in her defense.

"Nothing," he said in mocked innocence, taking a picture of her from the corner of the bed.

"We had a pact and he served his purpose," Rory pointed out.

"Yeah. I don't think he expected things to fall in place this conveniently for you and Marty," he said as another click went off.

Rory laid on her back as she stared at the light fixtures glowing in different hues and directions. "It can't be that."

"Why not?" Tanh challenged her. "I've never seen someone pretend to be unaffected by good news, pact or otherwise."

Rory felt a twinge of guilt. All she wanted was a shot at Marty before they parted ways. Tristin being part of the equation was an afterthought she should've deliberated about harder in hindsight.

"I told you to think about this convenient arrangement of yours weeks ago. Now that it's backfired…" his voice trailed.

"Whatever, Tanh," Rory sighed before closing her eyes.

Between her lids closing and Peter Gabriel serenading her with "Solsbury Hill" on the background, she didn't hear her friend excuse himself out of the room to get more film.

.xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Tristin sauntered through the auditorium doors like Tanh had advised him to. It was eerily quiet. If it weren't for the lights on the stage and the coat casually draped over a chair on the stage, he could've sworn that he was abandoned.

Then a book fell on the stage floor with a loud thump. He sped up his pace and approached the raised floor. Quietly, he trudged up the stage and watched Rory while she slept.

Slowly, he took off the knapsack that adorned his shoulder and laid it on the floor. He hesitated for an instant before he sat next to her on the edge of the bed. All the feelings of self-pity and envy vanished when his eyes laid on her.

He didn't know how long he stared at her but she eventually stirred from under his gaze. She blinked slowly as she awoke from her nap.

"Tristin! You're here," she greeted him with her sleep-laced voice.

"Nice nap?" he asked her as he unconsciously reached out to push away a curl that covered her eye.

"Yeah," she purred. "How's everything?"

"Good," he said nonchalantly. "I just had to make a few phone calls to check up on my class schedules. It appears that classes may be cancelled until noon tomorrow."

"So what are your plans for tonight?" Rory asked, getting up to a sitting position.

"Keeping you company?" he suggested with a smile.

"I'd like that," she said, smiling at him.

"So how can I accomplish this task?" he solicited her advice. "Wait, will Marty be upset with me if I kept you company?"

"It will be our little secret," she said in a whisper, a wink accompanied her statement. "How about we start you out with your first lesson on feminine trust?"

He let out a throaty chuckle. "This would be interesting."

"I think I remember from memory that you are not the kind that learns from one lesson," Rory said mysteriously.

"No I don't," Tristin chuckled in admittance.

"And so we start the lesson again," Rory murmured.

"Does this mean I have to date Paris again?" he asked, now lying on the bed himself.

"Only if you want to," she said between bouts of giggles.

The laughter in the room subsided as they tried to catch their breaths.

"You excited about your date with Marty?" he asked boldly.

Caught off-guard, Rory's blue eyes turned a shade darker as she focused on Tristin's face. "I think I'm more anxious than excited."

"Why? You've known him forever," he said.

Rory fell back on the bed, this time resting her head on his abdomen. "I don't know."

Tristin played with the lock of hair that fanned itself out on his chest. Both of them contemplated Rory's big date and her ambivalence to it.

"Hey, Rory, promise me one thing?" he asked.

"I still haven't fulfilled the first!" she reminded him.

"This won't be hard," he assured her.

"What is it?" she asked, enjoying the tingling sensation his playful touch had evoked.

"_De marche à côté de vous est plus belle que toutes mes rêves," _he uttered, his French rolling from his tongue.

Rory lifted her head and looked at him. "My French is rusty."

"Just think of what I said if things get sour between you and Marty," he said.

Unbeknownst to the couple, Tanh was clicking away, taking shots of them without their knowledge. "Perfect!" he muttered under his breath.


	8. Words Got In The Way

CHAPTER 8

That Saturday, Rory found herself wearing a dark mauve chiffon dress when she went out to dinner with Marty. Despite an hour of primping in front of the mirror, she felt like she was underdressed for the _Sage American_.

"You look wonderful," Marty said for the fourth time as he reached from across the table to hold her hand.

"Thanks," Rory blushed as she allowed his hand to cover hers. "You look wonderful yourself."

It was awkward, to say the least. Rory knew that Marty was blowing a wad of cash just to take her out. It was something she felt guilty about. They already had their aperitif and sadly, both of them knew that they were going to be paying more for the ambience than the meal itself.

"This is such a pretty place but you know we could've gone somewhere else," Rory apprehended him.

"Well I thought that I might as well take you out to a fancy place now," he replied. Then, he paused. "Okay, fancier than the dining hall. I know, it's not up to par to Logan's choice of venues, but… This way I don't have to take you out on Wednesday," he said frankly. "We could just go to your place, plop down on the sofa and watch bad TV."

_Wednesday? What was Wednesday?_ "Oh, Valentine's! Got ya," Rory chuckled melodically.

"I hope you don't mind," Marty chortled. "I'm going to be working that night, with the Valentine's rush and all. I need all the tips I can get. But I can come by after the gig and we can have some left over canapés."

"Really, Marty. I'm fine," Rory told him. "It's not like we're... you know."

"I know," Marty responded while shrugging his shoulders. "But with this being our last semester together and all..."

"Then we just have to make tonight worthwhile," Rory suggested. She just left out the 'platonic' part when she made that statement.

It was funny how both of them were nostalgic about the small things. He was the Hallmark card that she would open every once in a while that would make her feel happy and sad at the same time. Alas, these were the moments she was going to reminisce about.

oooo00oooo

Tristin was leaning up against the banister listening to a girl whose name he'd already forgotten. He doesn't even remember what she was talking about. All he knew was that his frat brother, Jerry, introduced them earlier in the evening. She was a sophomore sorority sister, and at that, a beautiful one. Barring his current state of boredom, he would've indulged her by having a quickie in the next room over if he did want to shut her up. But another dark haired girl filled his thoughts, whose name was not one he was bound to forget.

"So how is it that you got here again?" the brunette asked him.

"To get away from my dad," Tristin retorted.

"Oh, I love my father..." she went on to another rambling thought.

She was by no means a bimbette. After all, she made it as a member of Alpha Delta Phi. She was actually pretty eloquent despite the occasional 'like' tossed in the sentence. She talked with her hands a lot; something he caught Rory doing when she was nervous. Come to think of it, he had been listening to this girl comparing her to Rory!

Somewhere between the girl talking about her first horse and her debut, his thoughts drifted to Rory and their conversation last Wednesday.

_"Have you ever read High Fidelity?" Tristin asked._

_"Read? My God, I think Lane recited the book to me from memory," Rory said. "She was intrigued with Rob's musical list and his overt infatuation over Laura."_

_"I thought it was a good read," Tristin defended himself._

_"So who are your top 5 heartbreaks?" Rory challenged him._

_"Let's see," he said, squinting his eyes in thought, rocking his stretched out legs on the bed. "Chrissy Abernathy from the 5th grade, Leslie Ann Carmack, freshman year college, Melissa Rochester, from the Academy, you, and of course, Summer Matthews."_

_"Me?" Rory asked, bewildered. "You are smoking some serious crack."_

_"Well you did a good job denting my ego," he said in honesty. "Every time I thought I had a chance..."_

_"Whatever," Rory guffawed, supporting her upper body by leaning on her elbows._

_"See? If I wouldn't have known better, you would think that I'm using a pick up line on you rather than telling you the truth," Tristin said._

_"It's true though, right?" Rory responded in debate._

"So, do you wanna dance?" the brunette asked, almost reluctant to ask him to lead her to the dance floor. Living Syndication who was playing on the raised platform decided to take a breather and the sound system blared some hokey Valentine's Day collection of _Songs for the Dumped_.

"Sure," Tristin said nonchalantly.

He rested his beer bottle on the next table they passed by before he rhythmically swayed to _Words Got In The Way_ by Gloria Estefan.

oooo00oooo

In between her surf and turf and red wine, a trio of musicians approached the table and started playing _Words Got in The Way_. Rory and Marty laughed at the performers, not because they were bad but the song was utterly... appropriate?

"I guess they're trying to tell us something," Rory replied after she made sure she wasn't going to choke on the piece of lobster she was nibbling.

"What, too _Jerry Maguire_-ish?" Marty insinuated.

"Very. So does that make me Renee Zellweger?" Rory asked, dabbing her coral colored lips with the napkin on her lap.

"Hmm. I hope not. I can't take her seriously with the squinty eye thing," Marty replied in jest. "Premonition, I suppose?"

"Oh, so you've doomed this date already," Rory said in mocked tone.

Marty flashed a quick smile towards her before he tipped the musicians away. "Some realities we just have to face."

They should have heeded the omen. From the moment the musicians left, things between Rory and Marty went south. First, the garcon accidentally knocked Rory's arm when she was taking a sip from her wine glass, spilling the crimson drink all over her. Next, her coat was lost in the coat closet and if things couldn't get any worse, she slipped on the icy pavement, leaving more than her behind sore.

"I think we were jinxed by the Three Amigos," Marty chuckled when he dropped her off at the front of her apartment suite.

"I guess I should be thankful that then only thing that's hurt is my pride," Rory added on in agreement.

"Promise me that you won't go drive out tonight. It's the least you could do to prevent any more bad luck," Marty asked her to swear.

"I promise," she said in a mocked tone before kissing him.

The intimate act was something Rory anticipated and anxiously awaited for the past three days. Despite her hesitancy to kiss her only male heterosexual best friend, she was glad she did it.

His lips were warm and soft. His aftershave cologne assailed her nostrils, heightening each and every inch of skin exposed to his warm breath. She caught his lower lip with her teeth, sucking the soft skin gently until he moaned. She smiled when he made the primitive sound. Her hand absentmindedly caressed the freshly shaven jaw and it made him shudder a bit. Secretly, she was pleased.

"Rory, we have to stop this," he muttered between pecks, accentuating each touch with a louder smacking of lips. It was only then she even noticed his hands on her face or her arms clinging on his sides.

Rory's eyes fluttered open to meet with his intense gaze. It had a glimmer of both hunger and doubt and at that instant, Rory was confused as to why she hesitated to let him in. It's what she wanted, right?

"I know," those words slipped out almost as quietly as a child's prayer.

They clung to each other like they were each other's support. Both knew that they had to part, but both remained unwilling to be the first to say goodbye. Rory wondered if he was waiting for her to invite him over to spend the night.

"Are you coming over to study tomorrow?" he finally asked. It was an obvious inquiry to ask since awkwardness set in.

"Sure," Rory responded, non-committed.

Marty swooped down for another kiss before saying goodbye.

Rory watched Marty walk out of the building before she let herself in her flat. She absentmindedly took off her shoes, grimacing at the heel that's now broken. She shrugged off the coat, sighing at the discolored spot that obviously needed to be steamed out. She stared at her stained outfit, not knowing if it can be salvaged. And the worst of all, she can't even cry her woes to Paris who was currently being entertained in her boudoir. The empty, decorated Pinot Giorgio sitting on the breakfast nook told her not to bother her unless they were in grave danger. Rory smiled. At least it wasn't as obvious as the dorm room's scrunchy on the doorknob symbol.

If anything else, she could tell Tristin things went better than she anticipated…

oooo00oooo

Tristin was mindlessly making out with Erin, the girl whose name he'd forgotten, when his cell phone started vibrating in his front pocket. The polyphonic ring of _Wish You Were Here _only meant one thing.

"I have to take this call," he said, pulling his lips away from the girl. She moaned but she let him go.

"But-," she whimpered.

Tristin held up his index finger to silence her as he responded to the call. "Hey."

"Hi. Am I interrupting something?" the voice on the other end asked.

"No. Why'd you say that?" he asked as he looked at Erin who looked a little frustrated that their make out session got interrupted.

"Because you sound a little breathless," Rory explained.

Tristin smiled, a little glad that she called him this late at night. "Hey, can I call you back in a moment? I just need to find a place we can talk in private. Will you be up?"

"Yeah, I will be up for a few more hours," Rory answered.

"Good. Talk to you in a few," he said before hanging up.

Tristin shut his cell phone of quickly, almost forgetting about his lip-smacking partner.

"Where are you headed off to?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"

Tristin was at a loss of words. "Uh… yeah. That was my sister and she's just gotten back from a big date and she wants to talk about it," he fibbed.

She scrunched up her forehead in thought. He was about half a yard away when she exclaimed, "You don't have a sister!"

Tristin ran up to his room as quickly as he could despite his fraternity brothers trying to convince him to stay. He was so focused on hearing about Rory's date that he couldn't be bothered with the Anti-Valentine's Day celebration.

As soon as he locked himself up in his room, he dialed Rory's number. "So, how did the date go?" was his greeting.

"Went well," Rory responded. He could hear through the phone water flowing.

"Not well enough for you to not be… uh… predisposed," he tried to say without being nosy.

"No, not really," she giggled as she poured in the bath salts in the tub.

"But you sound happy about it," he pointed out, asking her to expound on the subject matter.

"Yeah," Rory said. He heard the water stop. "It was strange and yet, it was fun."

"What is going on there?" he asked, bemused with the sounds she was creating.

"Taking a bath," she replied matter-of-factly. "Care to join?" she teased.

"Hmm, mind if I do?" he teased back, taking off his shirt and tossing it on his laundry hamper.

Her chuckle reverberated through the phone, putting a grin on Tristin's face. "You're a flirt."

"Now, look who's talking!" he threatened playfully. "I'm not the one soaking in a bath tub right now and issuing out invites."

"I didn't think you'd call so soon," Rory admitted, a smile formed on her face as she tested the water's heat.

"Wow, a girl that actually complains about the 'I'll call you' line from a guy," Tristin said in a mocked hurt tone.

Again, she laughed.

"So, give me the details," he suggested.

"He took me out to this nice restaurant. Had a little wine, a little surf and turf and then things went down hill," she said dramatically.

"How so?" he asked as he belly flopped on his full-sized bed.

"We were serenaded to _Words Got In The Way._ You know, the Gloria Estefan song?" she clarified.

Tristin laughed. "Yeah, know the song. I danced to it tonight."

"You danced to it tonight?" Rory inquired, a stab of jealousy made her sit up straight in the tub. "You didn't tell me that you went out on a date. That's cool!" _Was it?_

"It wasn't a date, Rory," he clarified. "The frat house was throwing a fund-raiser tonight. It's an Anti-Valentine's Day party and I got roped into it."

"Tristin getting roped? That's something you don't hear often," Rory settled back into the warm liquid.

"Yeah, well…" he said candidly. "This girl asked me to dance and it was to that song."

"I hope you got luckier than me after the song," she implied.

"I was making out with her when you called," he evilly clued her in. He might as well have pictured Rory blushing at his comment.

"I am so sorry," she apologized, dragging the word 'so' like it was a long word. "You didn't have to take my call."

"It wasn't that important," he calmed he down. "Besides, I wanted to know if things went well between you and Marty."

"Oh yeah," she shifted gears. "Things were going well until the musicians left…" she animatedly detailed to him the events of the night. Tristin was laughing and sympathizing with her as she went about the story. It felt good to hear her confide to him.

"He was a great sport throughout the whole evening," she said. "He took me back to the apartment and kissed me."

_He kissed her_ was all he could think about. He should've realized that she was going to tell him all the gritty details. Sighing, he asked, "Then what happened?"

"I don't know," Rory said softly. "At one point we were kissing, then I stopped."

"Stopped what?" he snooped.

"Kissing him," she replied. "I wanted him to come in but I just can't bring myself to-"

"You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable, you know," he mentioned.

There was hesitancy on the other end of the line. "It's not that."

Tristin held his breath. The only thing he heard was the sound of her breathing as she splashed softly in the water. "I can't bring myself to be… intimate with him. At least, not this night." The sound of disappointment in her voice made him want to touch her.

"Rory," he whispered softly. "You shouldn't be apologetic for feeling something you felt wasn't right."

"I know," he heard her splash. "It's just that I know he knows how I feel about him and I just don't want him thinking that I'm a tease."

"Well, you're not," he replied a little to harshly.

"That's what Logan said I was," she responded bitterly.

"You listen to an idiot like him?" Tristin snarled. "I think you should give Marty a little more credit than that."

Another pause filled the line. "You are really being nice to me with this whole fiasco. Thank you."

"I live to serve," he said, feeling a little dejected, not because he felt like a loser championing Marty to her but because he wished that it was him she spoke of so lovingly.

Not a beat too soon, Rory shrieked.

"Rory, what's wrong?" he asked, his heart suddenly pounding like he just got the scare of his life.

"Uh, nothing," she said after a moment. "Paris', uh, date just walked in on me in the bathroom. I think I have to hang up and get myself out of the tub. Apparently the curse continues."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Tristin replied, "Don't scare me like that! Call me then if things change?"

"I will," she promised. "Oh, and Tristin?"

"Yeah?" he waited with bated breath.

"Sweet dreams," she said before hanging up.

Tristin rolled on to his back and tossed his cell carelessly next to him. He sure wished he'd have one of those dreamless nights once more.


	9. Wrong Lips to Kiss

CHAPTER 9

_To Becca: Thank you. Salamat. Gracias. Merci. Danke. You are a lifesaver._

It was payback time.

Tristin didn't know that this was how he was going to ask Rory to help him out. Trust, she says. Well, that was one thing he was counting on Rory to get the proverbial monkey off of his back.

"My, what big smile do you have," Tanh pointed out as he elbowed Tristin on the ribs.

"Do I?" Tristin feigned.

"So what's in the box?" Tanh asked in a singsong voice, eyeing the brightly wrapped parcel cradled in his arms.

"None of your business," he replied with a hint of mocked mystery, taking giant steps to what seemed like the direction to Rory's class.

"You can tell me now or I can bug Rory later," he threatened back, masterfully matching his strides.

"I heard my name," Rory said, appearing out of nowhere like a genie.

"Rory!" Tristin replied breathlessly. He noticed that he'd been doing that a lot recently when he's around her.

"Last I checked that was my name," she affirmed, a frown appearing on her brow.

"I need to cash in a favor," Tristin mentioned as he grabbed her by the shoulders.

Rory almost leapt at his touch. Smiling, she responded, "What?"

Tristin was about to pour out his confession until he noticed that he still possessed the long box under his armpit. "Oh, this is for you."

Rory took the nicely wrapped package and opened it. Amidst a set of floral paper laid an arrangement of yellow roses that seemed like they've been freshly cut. She looked at him with a hint of surprise and pleasure.

"Wow, that's really pretty," Tanh said from the sidelines.

"I thought I'd greet you Happy Valentine's," he said offhandedly, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"You didn't have to," Rory admonished him as she took a whiff of the lovely bouquet. "But thank you. I guess whatever the favor is, it's big, huh?"

"Major," Tristin didn't lie.

"Lay it on me," Rory ordered, putting the lid back on the box.

"Remember the girl I told you I was making out with last Saturday?" he helped her recall.

"Yeah," Rory admitted, a tinge of pink coloring her cheeks.

"Well, she is somewhat not taking the hint that I'm not into her," he confessed as his face blushed in a lovely shade of crimson.

"That must have been some kiss," Tanh muttered in a stage whisper.

"Shut up, peanut gallery," Rory reprimanded her friend playfully. "Go on," Rory told Tristin. She was eager to find out what he got himself in to this time.

"I admit, it wasn't my finest moment," he gave as an excuse. Should he confess that he needed something to do while he fantasized about her while she had dinner with a guy who could potentially be her soul mate?

"Didn't we just go through talking about finding you more suitable partners? Why did you have to pick the 'Fatal Attraction' chick?" Rory criticized, pointing her finger at him.

Tristin just scratched his head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry!"

"So what is this favor I have to fulfill?" Rory asked, secretly pleased with him writhing in embarrassment.

"Pretend to be my girlfriend this weekend," he suggested.

"What!" Rory said quite forcefully. "You are not serious!"

"As a heart attack," he said with pleading eyes.

Rory's eyes wandered around the almost empty hallways, knowing that her class is about to start soon. She deliberated in her head, not knowing what their ruse could do to alleviate the situation.

"Rory?" he asked her. He wanted to search for an answer in her eyes but she made it hard for him to figure her out.

"Fine," Rory agreed as she rolled her eyes.

"Great," he responded in glee, kissing her immediately as he got caught in the moment. It started out in his head as a kiss of gratitude. However, the moment their lips fused, his head started spinning. The taste of caramel and coffee covered his tongue as he coaxed her upper lip into his mouth. He felt her catch her breath. He can't think. Then out of nowhere, he said, "I love you."

Rory was rooted on the spot as she watched Tristin jog away from them.

"I'll call you later with the details!" he yelled running backwards.

Rory couldn't even mutter an answer. She just watched his running figure dart out of the side door.

"Miss Gilmore, it's your preference if you want to listen to the lecture here in the hallway," she heard her professor's suggestion.

Rory stared at Tanh as she tried to walk towards her classroom door.

"Don't look at me. I wasn't the one who said 'I love you'," Tanh remarked mid-chuckle. "You and I have some serious talking to do."

oooo00oooo

_I love you. Where did that come from, DuGrey?_ Tristin scolded himself. _How was he going to explain himself to Rory? Should he call her back and say, "About saying 'I love you…" You just can't back track and cover it up or pretend that it was never declared. It was already out there._

This was how he got himself into trouble. With Summer, they both knew where they were coming from. They didn't have to pretend that they were in love with each other, although he went down that path apparently without her. Twice. And both times he ended up getting the short end of the stick.

You can't take those three small words back. He knew somewhere down he meant them more than as a gesture of gratitude.

He can't go down the road with Rory. She doesn't know the rules. She is above the rules. He doesn't trust to love anyone until he deemed his next girlfriend worthy. He wasn't ready right now even if his heart was telling him otherwise. He'd wager his own selfish feelings just not to see her hurt, especially by him. She didn't deserve his wrath.

He pushed his hair back hurriedly, trying to wipe away the lingering thoughts of one Rory Gilmore. When he fantasized about her in high school, he thought she'd taste like bubblegum; the kind you smacked all day long. The kiss by the piano didn't count. Both were just lonely and lost. It wasn't worth dreaming about, right? But that all changed when the sweet lips greeted him with a lingering taste of long island iced tea not all too long ago. Today, the mixture of bitter-sweetness could've never been packaged any better, laced with the innocent taste the chocolate-orange lip balm that coated her lips. She was a chameleon and he didn't know how to handle their current state of friendship.

His eyes flickered to his rear-view mirror. He let up on the accelerator of his car. His hand cradled the head of his stick shift. Somehow, he found an odd sense of control as his hand caressed the ball. _Slow down _he reminded himself. Speeding away won't resolve any issues. It would just make him lose control.

oooo00oooo

Rory was definitely mentally absent from her class. There was the kiss. And those three words. She shouldn't get worked up about it. How many times had she uttered those same words to people she didn't even know as candidly as Tristin?

So he wants her as a stand-in girlfriend. That shouldn't be that tough, right?

The kiss was the second they've shared in a about six weeks. She really didn't want to get used to this. Although, she tried to rationalize that she had to be there for him, deal and all.

"Earth to Rory," Paris broke through her thoughts. "It's bad enough that you just plopped yourself down without a greeting."

"I'm sorry," Rory replied automatically like she as in a trance.

"Failed a test?" Paris asked.

"She wishes," Tanh remarked. "Tristin asked Rory to be his girlfriend."

"Did not!" Paris remarked, incensed.

"You're such a bad liar!" Rory snapped out of her stupor.

"Your rebuttal?" Paris raised her eyebrow to her roommate. Her lunch remained untouched until she heard Rory's response.

"Yes, he asked me to be his girlfriend," Rory glared at Tanh. "For the weekend, to ward off a proverbial stalker."

"Hasn't learned his lesson, has he?" Paris was back to her indifferent stance. "When will he realize that he will eventually be trapped in his own game?"

"But he followed her agreement to the situation with a steamy kiss and an 'I love you'," Tanh informed Paris, adding fuel to the fire.

"You are such a tattle tale!" Rory accused Tanh bitterly. His response was his tongue stuck out at her.

Rory wanted to voice out Tristin's secret but she decided against it. "It's the least I can do. After all, he did me a huge favor."

"Don't tell me he's helping you to get to Marty," Paris replied, clunking her fork noisily on her plate.

"I didn't say a thing!" Rory defended herself. She hated the fact that Paris was on her like Band-Aid on wounded skin. Apparently, Tanh had spilled the beans to her roommate.

"I should just listen to Tanh's fabrications. At least a touch of reality seems to be more existent in his stories," Paris guffawed.

"What do you mean?" Rory demanded Paris to explain herself. She was getting tired of defending Marty to her friends.

"Look, Rory, we may used to have a common crush on a blonde, namely Tristin, years ago. We've all moved on but he seems to think you're Estella to his Pip," Paris quipped, taking a bite of her food. "And Marty at this point is his Drummle. Or is it yours?" a frown wrinkled her forehead in thought.

"Drummle?" Rory groaned. "Marty is nowhere in the realm of Drummle. And for your information, I never had a crush on Tristin!"

"No, he's not snobbish, or a bore, but he is definitely getting between you and Tristin," Paris cited.

"I am so lost in conversation," Tanh shook his head in confusion.

"Get a copy of _Great Expectations_," Paris replied without missing a beat. "Anyway, get over what you think you feel for Marty. Throw Tristin a bone."

"What's with the sudden change of heart?" Rory inquired, taking a bite off of her sandwich.

"You should've gotten with him years ago. You probably would've gotten over your bad boy phase and realized that there's better fish in the sea," Paris pointed her fork at her. "And he'd finally cure himself from you."

"Those are fighting words," Rory said. "You make me sound like a disease."

"Rory, I hate to tell you this but do you know you're transparent?" Paris eyed her roommate. "Your voice changes when Tristin calls. And you can't lie to me. I know how you sound when Marty calls!"

Tanh nodded in agreement to Paris' statement.

"You are loco," Rory hissed.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night, Gilmore," Paris had the last word.

Tanh got the nerve to touch on a more sensitive topic. "So do you think he said _I love you_ as a joke or is it for real?"

oooo00oooo

Beats reverberated from a well-insulated room when Rory, Tanh and Kaylee walked into the fraternity building that Saturday night. The halls were lined up with scantily clad females and men dressed in anything from power suits to jeans. All three of them were greeted with Jell-O shots and a cup of some beverage that may or may not be alcoholic in nature. Tanh had already excused himself to find the representative rainbow coalition in the building despite his underdeveloped gaydar skills.

"Are you sure Tristin is around?" Kaylee raised her voice so that Rory can hear her.

Before Rory could respond, a pair of arms had circled her waist and a kiss snuck its way close to her ear.

"Honey, you made it!" Tristin responded in script. "I know you can act, so play along," he whispered loud enough for her to know the façade had been set up.

Kaylee stared at Tristin and Rory's strange behavior. A tinge of jealousy and anger surged within her. "I think I'll go get me something to drink." She walked away, still confused.

"So you're Rory," the brunette looked at her with piercing eyes, checking her out from head to toe and back.

"Yes, I am," Rory coughed out. She found it strangely erotic that Tristin took a deep breath of her and simultaneously ran his large hands around her waist and then down the small of her back until he finally ended up sticking his fingers down the back pockets of her snug denim jeans. "You are?"

"Erin," she snorted. "Erin Hannigan. Do you know, your boyfriend here is two-timing you?"

"Really?" Rory replied, acting like she was offended. She looked into his dark-blue eyes. They were serious, almost broody. "Any truth to this, babe?"

"I don't know what she's talking about," he mumbled, nuzzling her neck.

_Tristin is playing this role a little too well_, Rory said to herself. She found her breathing to be shallow and fast. He was doing a number on her system and she can't blame it on Cuervo or any alcohol with a name on it. Her fingers fanned themselves out on his side before outlining his broad chest.

"Well, we had a little argument last weekend," Rory covered up for Tristin's little covert operation.

"How could you be so blasé about it?" Erin screeched, gaining attention for her sudden display of emotion.

"How could I?" Rory let out a deep chuckle. She could hardly concentrate on her head-on confrontation with the psychotic girl. Tristin was just hitting all of her weak points and she just wanted to tell the wench to go away. He was running his finger up and down her arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps that drove her mad. "Really, Erin. Someone as green as you should've realized that you're playing with a pro." Rory played the role of a confident girlfriend, running her fingers through his hair before tugging on the collar of his shirt to plant a long wet kiss on him in front of Erin.

"Both of you make me sick," she said in spite. "It's your kind that makes all relationships look bad and weak."

Rory returned her glare by saying, "Hmm, the way I see it, you're the one looking pathetic for drooling over a guy who's still claimed." Rory faced Tristin once more and gave him a good, long kiss. She meant it as a kiss for show. But between her intention and what became reality, the line blurred almost instantaneously.

Their lips clung to each other like a thirsty man would with water. Rory knew hear heart was thumping as hard and as fast as the bass of the techno song blaring from the speaker. Her hands sought the hair at his nape, losing herself in it. She felt his hands glide up and down her upper body, almost freezing up when his knuckles brush up against the sides of her breast.

"Rory," she heard him whisper her name.

They lost themselves in the moment. Tristin pushed Rory towards the wall and started assaulting her mouth with his tongue. Heat dueled with heat. Passion fueled his aggression.

"You think she's still watching?" Rory asked as she gasped for air when he stopped nibbling her swollen lips.

"I don't care. I just want you," he hissed. His hands traversed to her bottom and rocked her whole body against his length. She heaved a long breath as she tried to brace herself against him.

"I- want you, too," she professed, unaware of the words that just slipped by her lips.

A surge of triumph brightened Tristin's intense gaze before he recaptured her lips. To him, he might as well have forgotten that they were supposed to be performing for an audience.

Rory pulled away from Tristin and looked up to catch her breath. Apparently, they lost Erin as their spectator. Instead, rooted on the spot was Kaylee, tear stricken and apparently upset. She dropped her disposable cup and squeezed her way out of the maze of bodies squirming to the music. Tristin let go of Rory, still in daze before calling out, "Kaylee!"

Just like that, Tristin ran after the petite blonde.

It was in that moment that Rory realized that she was truly confused as to what she felt. How did she go from wanting to be Marty's girl to wanting Tristin? She raised her shaky hands to her bruised lips. She can't stay here. She just can't.

Rory flitted from one room to another in hopes of finding Tanh. If anything else, she could ask him to take her home. Tristin can take care of the third person in their party.

_Was Tristin in love with Kaylee?_ Rory asked herself. Tristin wouldn't lie to her, would he? And even at that, why should she care? She's after all Marty's new girlfriend, right?

Rory was torn and tried to rationalize her thoughts when she found herself in what seems to be a playroom where Tanh was socializing with a bunch of guys and a lonely looking Marty.

"Marty, you made it!" Rory called out with fake enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I got off at nine and got here as quickly as I could," he said tiredly.

Rory looked at Tanh who was trying to signal her that he didn't want to go yet. So to that, she positioned herself next to Marty and said, "Do you want to head on back to campus? You look beat."

Marty rubbed his eyes briefly and sighed. "Yeah. If you don't mind."

Rory fished out her car keys and handed them to Tanh.

"Thank you," he mouthed to her as the group Tanh hung out with started to leave the room.

"Can I catch a ride with you?" Rory asked Marty.

"Sure," he smiled wanly. Both walked out the double doors with Marty's arm draped around her shoulders.

oooo00oooo

Tristin busted through a side door just to see Kaylee sitting on the sidewalk.

"There you are," he called out. She hurriedly wiped her tears as he sat next to her.

"Great party," she said, a crying hiccup escaped her throat.

"And you're a bad liar," Tristin replied. Both of them stared at the parking lot across from them.

"So, are you smitten with Rory?" Kaylee asked boldly.

Tristin didn't know how to respond to the question. "I don't understand you."

"Do you love her?" she asked. "I know that at one point in time, Marty couldn't go through a single story without mentioning her name."

"I… care for her," Tristin answered her in hesitation.

"Well then," she exhaled, the cold air making her breath come out in a billow of mist, "I guess you won't take too kindly if I called both of you fakes."

Tristin shot her a look of confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Do you want to know why I offered to come back to the states to look over my granny, Tristin?" she asked him. Tristin just shook his head in negation.

"I wanted to see Marty and I can't tell my parents," her gaze shifted to her feet. "I've been in love with Marty for God knows how long and I've tried. I've tried to make him look my way but he's always with some other girl. And this time, it's Rory. I was trying to convince myself that she is good and that they're perfect together but then I catch you and her going at it like dogs in heat when I know that they're together!"

"Kaylee, you don't understand…" Tristin tried to convince her otherwise.

"Don't patronize me, Tristin," she said in anger. "While you two were making out, I saw Marty come through the door and I tried to stop him from walking so he won't see the two of you. We just ended up having a row over it."

"A row?" Tristin asked in confusion.

"A fight. A bloody argument," she said. "Because I didn't want him to talk about her anymore. I tried to convince him that he didn't love Rory. Here's a man that I've been pining for and I catch his girl making out with you. Do you know how that feels?"

Tristin was silent. "Yeah, I do."

"Then why do it, Tristin?" she asked him. Somewhere, the girl wanted an honest answer from him.

"Because I think I fell in love and didn't know how to go about it," he responded bluntly.

Kaylee tore her gaze from Tristin. "Do you think I can be as desirable as Rory?"

"Yes, to the right guy," Tristin replied.

"Do you think Marty would ever see me more of his sister's friend?" she inquired.

"If he's smart, yes," he muttered.

A faint smile curled on her lips. "Thanks, Tristin." She leaned over to him and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"I'm going back to Oxford in a week," she confessed quietly. "I don't think I can stay and think that Marty…"

She lost her voice as she saw Marty and Rory walk away from the building and into his car.

In silence, both of them watched the couple drive away unaware that Rory was looking back at them and was silently crying to herself as she witnessed Kaylee give Tristin a kiss. _I guess that's the answer to my question, _Rory accepted the truth with a heavy heart.


	10. Destination: Alienation

CHAPTER 10

Tuesday evening came quickly to Rory. She avoided Marty long enough. She promised herself this time to set things straight with her current beau. Mustering fake enthusiasm, she entered Marty's room like the weekend's events didn't happen.

"So I figured we'd cover chapters 8 to 12. It's your turn to cover the first half," she plopped her textbooks on his desk while she awkwardly tried to take off her coat.

"Okay," Marty replied. His melancholy left Rory discouraged.

Rory was quickly falling from her state of cloud nine. The novelty of studying and making out with Marty were wearing out as she thought about her own needs. She could pretend that his kisses were steamy and bold like Tristin's but it wasn't. His kisses were comfortable, almost akin to a junior high kind of romance that seemed to blossom between them. Every night she left, the thought of sex always filled her thoughts. She cannot bring herself to spend a night in his bed. It wasn't from lack of trying. She was just relieved that he never pushed her.

"Is everything okay?" Rory tried to lift up his spirits by sitting on his lap and kissing him squarely on the lips. All he did was pull away.

"Rory, we can't do this," he said, shoving her aside. "I can't do this."

Rory was befuddled. "What's wrong?" She got up from his lap and gave him his space. Does he know what transpired between her and Tristin?

"Nothing," he said, getting up himself, pacing back and forth by the small window letting the afternoon rays shine through.

"Oh," Rory muttered. Silence pulsated with tension. "Okay… uhm, I'll just go to the library then and…"

"Stay," he cut her off abruptly. "I'm sorry. Just stay." His voice softened after his harsh command.

Rory was rooted to the spot. Schizophrenia could not describe the tension in the room. She paced herself slowly towards the desk.

"Marty…" she spoke to him.

"Kaylee is leaving," he responded in the same time. She remained quiet and let him finish his thought. "She's leaving this Friday and I… I was thinking of throwing her a going away party for her."

That surely wasn't what Rory expected to hear.

"She is?" Rory pondered. "When did you find out?"

"Sunday," he said as he covered her out. "She wanted to tell me Saturday night but she was babbling nonsense."

Rory looked away from him. She wished he wouldn't ask her.

"Would you be with me when I see her off?" He looked at her with mournful eyes. "I was thinking we'd go to dinner this Thursday, after our exam. Tristin will bring her over…"

Was he baiting her? "I can't go."

"Can't or won't?" Marty grilled her.

_Oh boy_. "I… I promised Paris I was going to hang out with her that night." It's a lie of course but evading contact with Tristin was a priority she was finding harder to do since Saturday.

"Fine," he said, there was a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I thought that you'd at least say goodbye to her since she considers you a friend."

Maybe Rory was just getting paranoid about the whole situation. What does she have to lose?

"Okay, fine. I'll tell Paris that we'd reschedule," Rory conceded like a petulant child. She sighed and put her hand on her forehead.

"Thanks," he whispered back. Apologetically, he asked, "So, what chapters do I have to cover again?"

oooo00oooo

Tristin stared at his phone for the longest time. He hadn't slept in the last couple of days courtesy of Marty and the women in his life.

Tristin smirked. And who said the good guys didn't get the girls?

Leaning up against his window, his thoughts reverted to Rory. He knew his acting skills bordered passable but what became apparent between him and Rory that weekend transcended acting.

He knew all the buttons to get any lady hot and heavy; the feather touches on the small of the back, the kisses on the nape. What he didn't calculate was her electric touch making him tingle all over his body. Nor did he count on getting addicted to her taste. Her sighs and moans still echoed in the recesses of his brain causing him to take a real cold shower days after the party.

Like an addict he searched for her. He called her cell. He called the apartment. All were dead ends with a voice mail message or Paris sympathetically telling him she's not home.

"_Is she around?" he knew Paris wouldn't give the phone to Rory even if she were in the room._

"_Well, she just stepped out. I think she said something about going to the library… You tried her cell?" she replied like she was reading a script._

"_I did but I can't seem to get her to answer my calls," desperation filled his voice._

"_Do you want me to tell her to call you when she gets in?" she sounded a little panicked._

"_Please," he sighed._

"_Do you need me to talk to her?" Paris asked, almost convincingly concerned._

"_Yes! I mean… No." _

_He paused, almost spilling his heart out to her. Trust. The word pops again._

"_Can you just tell her that we need to talk. The sooner, the better," he said. "Tell her… tell her that .." he can't seem to relay to Paris what he wanted to say. "Damn it, just tell her I called."_

Frustrated, he tossed the phone back on his unmade bed. His voice echoed through the fraternity house screaming an obscenity that is all too commonly heard in the hollowed walls.

Tristin had to get a grip. He disrobed and put on a pair of running pants and a heavy sweater. He dialed Kaylee at home and told her that it was an honor for him to drop her off at the airport Thursday night so she can catch a red-eye if she decided to leave earlier than planned.

oooo00oooo

_Villa del Sol_ was abuzz tonight. A lot of the upperclassmen were already in full swing drinking the night away. Rory smirked. They did have the right idea.

She told Marty she would meet them at the Mexican restaurant. And she was glad she did. She asked the maitre'd how long it was going to take to secure their table.

"Your party can be seated in about fifteen minutes. Are they all here?" the lovely Hispanic asked.

"Not yet but will it be okay if I waited for them by the bar?" Rory asked.

"That's fine. We'll call you when your table is ready," she smiled back.

Rory headed for the bar. She dismissed the looks she got from the men when she got there. Tonight was one night she really didn't want to be friendly especially with the opposite gender.

"A margarita, please? Salt," Rory ordered from the bartender.

He nodded to her and prepared her the drink.

She withdrew the little leather bound diary she bought for Kaylee. The pages of the book were handmade with bits of pulp and floral petals peppering the pages. She took the fountain pen she purchased and tried to write a little note on the first page to personalize it. What should she say?

The bartender shot her a sympathetic stare like he knew something was wrong with her. She handed him a ten-dollar bill and he gave her back her change.

"If he's worth it, he'll be the one coming to ya," his thick Bostonian voice comforted her.

Rory flashed him a smile of gratitude.

"Hey, starting the party without us?" Marty asked from behind her, planting a small kiss on her cheek. His hand lingered on the small of her back.

"Hi Marty," she looked up to him, smiling. "I was just trying to write something in here for Kaylee."

"She's going to like that," Marty smiled. "You're so thoughtful."

Again, Rory was at a loss of words.

The little disc given to Rory started flashing and Marty noticed it.

"Guess our table awaits?" he pointed out the obvious.

Rory shoved the little book and pen back in the festive bag before grabbing her drink. Slowly, she followed Marty through the crowded room.

"Rory, Rory!" the British lit voice called out her name. Swinging around, Rory saw Kaylee, waving at her frantically. She smiled at her before she looked up to see Tristin.

"Hey," Rory greeted. She saw Tristin squirm. It definitely let her know that it wasn't only her that was uncomfortable.

Kaylee wrapped her arm around Rory's waist. She leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Don't worry. I didn't tell Marty."

Rory's eyes shot up to meet with her eyes.

"It's my last night here. Let's not make a scene," Kaylee spoke once more.

Kaylee had more poise than Rory ever could surmise herself.

The greeter showed them their booth. Rory sat across from Kaylee and Tristin. Marty blocked her in.

As soon as appetizers were served, going away presents were given to Kaylee. She gushed graciously. Conversation revolved around Kaylee's trip back to Oxford. Apparently, she won't be able to perform at the Conservatory's ballet performance that spring but she was looking forward to throwing herself back to work.

Everyone stuck to neutral topics. There was laughter, forced at that. Rory tried her best not to look Tristin's way but her eyes reverted back to him. There was no warmth in them; just a dull glaze of annoyance. Whenever he spoke, Rory jumped. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to explain things but she can't seem to find her voice where he was concerned.

Kaylee noticed the tension between Tristin and Rory. As much as she knew that Rory tried to pretend that there is nothing between her and Tristin, she knew that Rory shouldn't lead Marty in circles.

"Uh, Rory, I have to go powder my nose. Would you like to join me?" she invited.

_Thank God_. "Sure," Rory smiled at the men and excused herself.

As soon as Rory and Kaylee reached the restrooms, Kaylee locked the door behind them.

"Look," Kaylee started. "I know that you love Marty."

"Yes," Rory coughed out.

"But I'm afraid that Tristin has taken a liking to you, too," Kaylee added, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I think you're mistaken," Rory piped in. "Last Saturday…"

"Last Saturday was an eye opener for the rest of us," Kaylee said in one big exhale. "Don't tell me that after all that's happened between you and Tristin, you're still in love with Marty."

"I am," Rory rushed to say.

"You think you're in love," she spat out. Tears sprung out from the corner of her eyes.

"There are things that you don't know about me and Tristin," Rory said carefully.

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Kaylee replied, trying to control her voice. "I was upset. Not just a little bit. I was hurt and it was because I realized I cared for Marty more than what I thought I did."

Rory can't believe what she's hearing. Could Kaylee be...?

"Are you saying you're in love with Marty?" Rory asked. Her own tears were flowing freely now.

"No!" she denied.

"Oh, Kaylee," Rory sobbed, taking the girl in her arms in a tight hug.

"He'll never see me as anything but his little sister's girlfriend," she cried on Rory's shoulder. "I can't see him hurt."

"Have you told him?" Rory inquired, handing her some Kleenex.

"Yeah, right," she sarcastically snorted. "I'm a bumbling idiot as it is."

"Kaylee, promise me you tell him how you feel tonight," Rory urged her. "Trust me. I wish I did when I had the opportunity."

"I hope you're talking about Tristin," Kaylee tried to conceal a smile.

Rory looked away. She fidgeted with a loose thread on her blazer. "I'm talking about people… boys in general."

"Tristin is smitten with you," she admitted.

"He's smitten with power and his ability to collect women like trophies," Rory sighed.

"Don't be silly. You know him better than that," she scolded Rory. "Heck, I've grown to love the lug nut and I haven't known him as long as you have."

"Kaylee, I'm not the one we're talking about here," Rory muttered.

"Bullocks. This is about us," Kaylee swore. They both tried to blot their eyes. "Promise me one thing?"

"What?" Rory listened to her request.

"Love Marty for who he is… And if you're breaking up with him, don't break his heart slow," Kaylee pleaded.

Rory just stared at the sink in front of her. What was she supposed to say?

She didn't know how long she stood there. She remembered Kaylee kissing her on the cheek before walking out of the restroom. She was surprised to realize Kaylee was mature for her age. She was naïve about life and love when she was her age. She definitely was going to miss the sprite.

Rory exited the ladies' room when chatty college girls invaded it. When she got back to the table, everyone was gone but Marty.

"Where'd everyone go?" Rory asked, sitting across from him.

"They left," he sighed. He took the napkin on his lap and threw it on his plate impatiently. "Tristin is taking her to Tweed to catch her connecting flight at La Guardia."

Rory held his hand across the table. She can't meet his eyes. "Did you tell her?"

"Tell her what?" he tensed up at her question.

"That you love her? That you'll miss her?" Rory queried.

Marty withdrew his hand from hers. "Did you knock your head in the restroom?"

"Answer my question," Rory ordered him. "Did you tell her?"

Marty stuttered. "I- I can't."

"Why?" she pried.

"Because I'm with you," he answered.

Rory snorted. "I think we should be honest with ourselves here. There isn't a we. At least not in the romantic sort of way."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know I'm not romantic and I work a lot…"

"It's not that," Rory chuckled. "Marty, we tried but I don't think we click."

Marty blanched.

"Don't take it the wrong way!" Rory exclaimed. "I think we honestly gave ourselves a try but I think your heart belongs to someone else."

"Do you think she'd see me more as her best friend's brother?" Marty asked hesitantly.

Rory smiled a smile of relief. "I think you can make her see reason."

"I don't know," he whined. "Like you said, I'm not the most suave guy out there."

"I don't think she's looking for suave, no pun intended," Rory reassured him. "She's looking for someone who's comfortable."

He looked away dreamily. He tried hiding the blush that shaded his cheeks.

"Come on," she said as she stood up. She dropped a couple of bills from her purse.

"Where are we going?" Marty got up, a look of surprise crept to his face.

"We've got a plane to catch."


	11. Bound To Be A Rebound

CHAPTER 11

If there was one thing she learned from Logan, it was _Carpe Diem._ It didn't mean much to her then but right now, it was the appropriate thing to do. She and Marty jumped in his Honda as quickly as they could to get to Tweed Airport.

"So what are you going to do if she's still there?" Rory asked, trying to calm Marty.

"Honestly, I haven't thought that far yet," he stammered. "I've never acted so impulsively in my entire life."

A sad smile crept on Rory's face. "Love does that to everyone."

"How did we get to this point? We were just having dinner…" Marty mused now taking a look at his now ex-girlfriend.

Wryly, she responded, "And this is dessert. Excited?"

Marty contemplated for a second. "Anxious."

"That's good," Rory exhaled.

"Good? Are you a sadist?" Marty muddled through what Rory said. Pausing, he asked softly, "Are you angry?"

Rory was caught by surprise. "No."

"I feel like I've cheated you somehow," Marty chuckled half-heartedly. "It would be rather difficult if I lost my best friend this way."

Rory looked his way, her heart tearing in little pieces. "I would, too."

In silence, they came to a silent agreement about what had just transpired.

"Promise me one thing?" Marty requested.

"What?" Rory asked, her mind busy reconciling the fact that she's faced another failure in the dating department.

"That we're not breaking up because you think you're not worth it," he stated.

Rory's hand rested on his thigh. "Trust me, it isn't."

Marty's hand covered hers. "You know, I'll really be envious of the guy who eventually gets you. Forget Logan and his lies. You will make some guy happy just by being yourself."

"Don't worry," she sighed. "I'll eventually find him."

"What about Tristin?" he teased.

"Yeah, what about him?" she joked back not expecting a return answer.

The car chase finally came down to a crawl as they approached the check-in gates. Marty crept slowly until Rory caught sight of the beautiful blonde couple behind the glass panes at the Northwest departure gates.

"Marty, stop!" she yelled. "Over there!"

Marty jerked the steering wheel to the right, jumping the curb before parking the car. In a matter of seconds, he undid his seatbelt and ran into the building. With the engine still running, Rory had to hold back a sob as she witness Kaylee swirl around to meet Marty's passionate kiss.

-----oooo0----0oooo-----------

Kaylee rested her head on Tristin's shoulder as they inched through the short line.

"I promise not to be on a foul mood when I board the plane," Kaylee said as she and Tristin played the 'I Promise Not' game.

"I promise not to socialize with anyone I've known with in elementary or high school," he countered. His thoughts lingered at Rory's avoidance all night.

"I promise not to bring up subjects that includes Marty," she added.

"I promise not to think of Rory again," he finally admitted.

"You don't mean that," Kaylee lifted her head up from his shoulder.

"Why can't I?" he asked.

"Because…" she cannot come up with a rebuttal.

"Exactly," Tristin pointed out.

"I lied," Kaylee blurted out. "I freaked Rory out in the loo and left her there. I didn't want to know that she was going to tell me that she won't let Marty go without a fight and I can't fight with a ghost."

Tristin was silent. If he were Kaylee, he knew he would do what she just did. His hands rubbed her upper arms lightly.

"I think she's afraid of you," she warned Tristin.

His hands on her went still, unconsciously squeezing her hard enough to leave a bruise.

"Tristin?" she asked. She wanted him to stop hurting her.

"What did she say?" his eyes turned steel blue. His heart started pounding hard against his chest. He peered into her eyes, hoping to get an answer from her. "Why do you think she's scared of me?"

"I don't know!" her tone went up an octave higher.

He released her arms immediately. He was embarrassed that he took out his anger on her. He turned his back on her feeling guilty as she stimulated the blood back into her arms.

"She thinks that you collect women like trophies," she admitted. "From what I've heard from Marty, Logan used to treat her like one and hated it."

"But I am not Logan!" he said heatedly.

"I'm sure you're not but I'm not sure she's convinced of that," she implied.

His fingers raked through his hair.

"Kaylee…" and he got interrupted.

Out of nowhere, Marty busted through the doors. His determined strides carried him to a highly confused Kaylee. He took her face into his hands and kissed her in deep passion. Tristin stepped away and looked outside.

All he saw was Rory getting into the driver's side of the champagne Honda, pulling away from the sliding doors.

------oooo0---0oooo-------

"Rory, you alright?" Tristin inquired.

Rory sat right next to him silently inside the sports car. The five-mile drive back to town felt like a journey that took three months to complete.

_Rory parked the car and took her time walking back to Marty and Kaylee. When she came upon them, she can't help but feel sad that she wasn't the one with a happy ending._

"_Hi," she broke the couple's tight embrace. "Here are the car keys."_

"_Thanks," Marty expressed gratitude. His eyes shifted to Tristin who was standing a few feet away from them._

"_So, what are your plans?" she asked. She shoved her hands down her front pockets to avoid giving away her real feelings._

"_I've decided to drive Kay up to LaGuardia instead. We have a lot of catching up to do before she flies back," he smiled wanly._

"_Guess you better get going then," she smiled._

_Kaylee approached Rory and hugged her. "You're the best."_

_Jokingly, Rory replied, "Don't you forget it."_

"_Tristin, would it be possible for you to drop Rory off?" Marty asked._

"_Sure," he agreed avoiding any physical contact with Rory. "I'll take her home."_

"_Thanks, bud," he smiled. He laid a kiss on Rory's cheek. "Thank you."_

_Just like that, he took Kaylee's bags and walked away with her hand in hand._

"Want to come up?" Rory invited Tristin over. He hesitated.

"I don't think..." he started saying before she cut him off.

"I don't want to be alone," she admitted. She gazed at him with sad corn-blue eyes before she asked again. "Please?"

All he wanted to do at that moment was grab her in his arms and take all the pain away. She didn't have to ask again. He stepped out of the car and opened her door. As she emerged, he grasped her hand and laced his fingers with hers. The fact she didn't pull away made him think they were making progress.

He didn't know what was going through her head but he wished that with Marty out of the picture, she'd see that he isn't the bastard he was years ago.

"Why aren't you doing the 'I-told-you-so' dance?" Rory asked. A sliver of bitterness edged her voice.

"You took a chance, Rory. You can't be resentful for trying," he answered. "Would you have preferred just wondering?"

"I'm surprised to hear you say that," Rory admitted, her voice softening at his revelation.

"What you did took a lot of guts," Tristin tried to fill the air.

"It didn't make sense to keep holding on to something that isn't there in the first place," Rory stated.

"And that's what makes the whole thing noble," he pointed out.

"I didn't want to be a martyr," she corrected him.

"I never said you tried," he rebutted.

Except for the muted click the latch made when she unlocked the door, the place was quiet. The soft glow of the paper lamp provided the only light in the room. The scent of lavender lingered in the air giving the apartment a hint of mystery and femininity.

"Rory," he whispered her name before her index finger landed on his lips to silence him. With a bat of an eyelash, her lips replaced the digit with desperate hunger.

Her hands deftly undid the leather jacket he wore. Without warning, her fingers pulled the neatly tucked shirt by the waistband. Her cool skin warmed itself on the covered flesh.

He undid her coat slowly. His fingers lingered a second longer on her collarbone making her freeze on the spot.

"I won't hurt you," was his promise.

Their lips met urgently. Rory stepped out of her shoes leaving her a few inches shorter than when they started making out.

His head dipped, her arms went around his neck. The delicious shivers made them sigh as they slowly made their way to Rory's bedroom.

"Are you sure?" Tristin asked her once more. He wanted a guarantee that she knew that he was giving her a way out.

She nodded and started unbuttoning her shirt for him.

The slow striptease routine drove Tristin wild. Bathed under the full moon glistening through her window, her alabaster skin glowed. Her fingers started shaking when she reached for the strap of her bra.

"Allow me," his husky voice volunteered.

Her hands rested on his chest. His t-shirt still got in the way. She pulled on the soft cloth and tugged it over his head. In one fluid motion, he helped her yank the offensive clothing off of him and crush her towards him.

She sighed, her breasts heaving on his chest. His fingers left a trail of fire down her spine. A moan escaped her lips as he kissed the skin where the strap once settled.

"Tristin!" she exclaimed in pleasure.

When she cried out his name, all his fears dissipated. He gently laid her on the bed. He caressed her exposed skin lovingly. Slowly, he stretched his full length next to her nudging her legs to part to accommodate his jean-clad thigh.

"Rory," he muttered one last time before he joined her on her bed.

They made love to each other like it was their first time. The touches were slow and deliberate. Their kisses, unhurried. When they both cried out in release, they nestled in each other's arms like they were meant to be.

The moment came to her like a ton of bricks.

_I love Tristin!_

A tear escaped from the corner of her eye as she watched him sleep. She knew he was lost in his dreams. It wasn't the sex. It wasn't even Marty. She was so wrapped up in what Logan had turned her into that she didn't see what Tristin sacrificed to be with her.

"I love you," she whispered. "I hope you catch me when I fall."

She brushed a kiss on his forehead before she snuggled into his arms.

Finally, there was a pair of arms she could call home.

0

The first signs of morning light dared to peek over the building tops when Tristin woke up from his nightmare.

He was drenched in sweat, shivering.

It took him a few moments to figure out where he was. Rory's back was towards him, her bed sheets resting on the crest of her backside.

_What have you done?_ Tristin scolded himself.

He panicked. He wanted to touch her but he was afraid to wake her up. He cursed himself for making his other head think for him.

Angrily, he snatched his jeans that were crumpled on the floor. He got dressed quickly feeling guilty of what had just transpired between them.

He should've known better. He was the rebound guy.

He didn't bother covering her up. Instead, he strolled out the door quietly. He grabbed his coat that now was properly draped over the back of the couch.

_Paris would have a hay day pestering Rory._

Even if he knew she wasn't Summer, he allowed himself to be used by someone he thought cared for him the same way he did her.

_Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me._

He welcomed the chilly breeze. He might as well get used to it now.

-----oooo0-----0oooo----------

Rory woke up from a wonderful slumber. Her hand searched for the warm body that kept her company all night. She jackknifed to a sitting position realizing he was gone.

No note.

No sign.

All weekend, she couldn't concentrate at her grandparents' dinner or her mother's latest drama. All she wanted to do was talk to Tristin. Twice she jumped into her car and headed out for New Providence only to turn back halfway through her drive.

He never called her and she was afraid that her darkest fears had come true.

She was used.

That Wednesday she camped right outside Tanh's art room.

"What are you doing here?" Tanh asked, helping her get off of her behind.

"Waiting for Tristin," she stated.

"Oh, honey. His last day was last week. He isn't coming back," Tanh informed her.


	12. Coming Full Circle

CHAPTER 12

Rory peaked at her reflection on the mirror one more time before sweeping her hair back in loose rings. After her long talk with Paris the night before, she decided she wasn't going to be a victim anymore. She was taking swift measures to let everyone know that she doesn't need a man next to her to be happy.

It had been two and a half weeks since the rendezvous. She tried to appear unaffected with what happened between her and Tristin but she knew she wasn't fooling anyone. She suffered from a broken heart as she watched Marty bloom like someone truly in love.

_She stared at him as he talked about his plans of getting into Oxford or Cambridge to be with Kaylee. He didn't care about the expenses that would leave him a pauper until the day he died. He was a man in love._

"_So, I guess it's time for us to make that pact, huh?" Marty teased._

"_Which one?" Rory turned to him quizzically._

"_The one that if we find ourselves thirty and alone, we have to look up each other and just marry each other," he stated. "That way, we can live in the same house, not worry about blind dates set by our parents and we get to throw empty beer cans at the kids playing on our lawn."_

"_Do I get to wear an afghan shawl?" Rory pictured herself humorously._

"_Did you make it?" he asked._

"_Have you ever seen me with a crochet hook and thread?" Rory laughed, mocking him with the rhetorical question._

"_Okay, so you have your mom's shawl but yeah, if you want to wear it," he chuckled._

_It was one of the better laughs Rory had in days. Indeed, should she make another promise that could eventually blow up in her face?_

"_Sure," she said hesitantly. "What's the worst thing that could happen? I mean, you're going to be married to Kaylee with two and a half kids speaking with cute English accents."_

"_You're too funny," Marty said in jest, bumping her on the shoulder with his._

_They both stared at their books, silence occupying the room once more._

"_You'll never be alone, you know," Marty said in hushed tones._

"_Rory flashed him a sad smile, "You wouldn't either."_

Tristin became a taboo subject after the first time Marty brought him up the night she found out that he walked out on her and what could've been between them. It's not from Marty's lack of trying. It was from self-pitying.

"Rory, you are going to be late for the opening if you keep on primping!" Paris bellowed from behind the door.

"I'm coming!" Rory yelled back the response. She took a deep breath and made her grand appearance.

"What do you think?" she asked her one-man audience.

Paris was speechless. Paris wasn't the type that gushed but she did. "You look—stunning!"

"Why, thank you!" Rory took the compliment, twirling right in front of her roommate.

Rory decided to wear a dark red number, form fitting and very feminine. The soft, gauzy fabric just barely touched her knees, making the cloth whisper while she walked. The engine red strappy sandals and painted toes made her feel like a siren.

"Are you sure you're going to an art opening and not a hot date?" Paris teased.

"Yes, mom," she teased her roommate once more. "Last I checked, you were supposed to be there, too."

Paris delayed with her response. "I will be. I just have to take care of some things downtown before heading to the gallery. Besides," she segued, "Tanh wants to explain a certain piece to you that I've seen it already."

"How come you got to take a peak and I didn't?" Rory whined.

"Because you've been studying too hard," Paris reminded her. She took Rory's black coat draped on the chair and handed it to her best friend. "Here. I'll see you tonight."

Rory wrinkled her eyebrows. "Okay, see you tonight!" She left the apartment with Paris letting out a sigh of relief.

It didn't take her long to get to the Architectural Building where the exhibit was taking place. However, she hesitated in taking her first step into the grand hall. Thankfully, someone was around to make her welcome.

"Rory, over here! I want to introduce you to some friends of mine," Alex, Tanh's former flame invited her over.

Rory smiled and casually walked over the group and joined in the small talk.

oooo0-----0ooooo-------

Tristin didn't know what he was doing in the hall. He should've listened to instinct and bolted but he was rooted on the spot. After all, he promised Paris.

Paris. How is it that she is always involved when things happen between him and Rory?

"_You cannot just leave Rory like that," she chided him several nights ago. Leave it to Paris. She drove all the way to Rhode Island just to give him a piece of her mind._

"_I didn't-," he got cut off._

"_Yes, you did. The girl was crying all weekend!" Paris lied. Rory hadn't opened up to her about the night she and Tristin shared. Paris knew that the intimate encounter was one Rory would share with her when the time was right. And from her actions that Friday, things were awry. Her roommate moped a large portion of the weekend after coming back from her mother's but the fib seemed to illicit the response she was going for at that moment._

_He did feel guilty. "It wasn't my intention."_

"_Why did you leave?" Paris asked solemnly._

_Tristin hesitated before responding. "I don't know."_

"_That's a load of crap and you know it," she spat out. "She loves you. She always had and I think you at least owe her an explanation."_

"_She was in love with Marty and I was the rebound," Tristin fought back. "Besides, she could've called if she really wanted to talk."_

"_You are a nitwit if you think she's going to call. Girls don't call boys," Paris reminded him._

_He snorted while he paced like a caged animal._

"_She doesn't sleep around, Tristin," Paris raised her voice, for once thankful that they were having the argument in the confines of his room. "She hasn't since Logan and that's almost two years!"_

"_Not even Marty?" Tristin snarled._

"_Especially Marty," Paris calmly responded. "I heard about what happened between you and Summer and she's not like that."_

_Tristin was left speechless. Paris stood up and put her coat back on. "I really don't know what happened between the two of you but you owe it to yourself to talk to her."_

_She pulls out a postcard from her coat pocket. "Here. Be there."_

_He studied the card. It was Tanh's invite to the exhibition._

"_It's been a long time since I've last seen you and her happy. Don't be miserable because you let your damned pride get in the way," Paris whispered before walking out the door._

He dragged himself around the vast room staring at various pieces of art presented. Sculptures, sketches and paintings surrounded him but be wasn't interested.

Then he stumbled onto Tanh's work.

He was rather impressed with the abstract artworks he had put on display. Reds clashed with the blues. Greens melded with yellows. Anger and beauty and stillness shouted from the canvas despite its chaotic appearance.

Tristin smirked and moved on.

He chuckled when he saw a charcoal sketch of himself; rather surprised at the subtle effect of highlights and shadows he had cast over the contours of his body. He admired how he did a partial sketch of his naked form and yet chose several angles and moods of his face as a border around his work.

Finally, he reached his camera work. Some of the photos were comparable to the Ansel Adams of the photographic world but none could compete with the digital arts media he made.

The piece rendered him speechless.

oooo0--------0oooo----------------

Rory was engrossed in conversation when a hand nestled at the small of her back. She froze knowing the feel so intimately.

"Ace, so nice to see a friendly face in a place like this," Logan's husky voice made her shiver.

"Logan," she greeted, plastering a smile on her face, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah. Had to cover this thing so that dad can see I got a byline before leaving this hell hole," he admitted. The hand on her back wandered to her side and cupped her waist lovingly, redirecting her away from the crowd after he made excuses for them to leave the group.

"What if I wanted to stay?" Rory asked heatedly as she matched his unhurried strides.

"I know when you're bored, Rory," he smiled affectionately. "Remember, we dated a few moons ago."

He found her a seat next to the open bar serving champagne and sangria for drinks.

"So where's your bodyguard?" Logan eyed the room filling up with professors, students and casual art collectors.

"I don't know what you mean," Rory evaded his question as she took a sip of her beverage.

"Tall, blonde, goes by the name of Tristin DuGrey?" he asked, polishing off his drink.

"I know you didn't come here just to catch up with someone who tried to rearrange your face," Rory mocked, egging him with the embarrassing brawl that took place weeks ago.

"I give it to him," he said, rubbing his jaw. "He delivers a mean sucker punch."

"I'll pass on the compliments," Rory responded smugly.

"So he is around," Logan said in victory.

"Why are you so intent on finding out whether he's here or not?" Rory pestered him.

Logan set his glass over the flat surface. "Because I want you back."

Rory choked on her drink. "Run that by me again?"

"You heard me, Rory," he threatened darkly. "I want you back."

Rory felt goose bumps travel up and down her bare arms after Logan's confessions. Years ago, she might have said yes. But after the degradation and humiliation of not being good enough, she realized that she had to run away from him. Fast.

"I am not a toy that you discard and then take back the moment you see another kid play with it, Huntzberger."

Rory deposited the half filled glass on the table and left him standing, mumbling an excuse. She didn't know where she was headed but she was getting there in record speed.

"Rory, wait!" she heard Logan call out.

Fresh tears sprang from the corner of her eyes. _Damn it! This is not what I expected!_

It was like her feet knew where to take her. All of a sudden, she felt like she was surrounded by strength. Her eyes looked up at the canvases around her and found herself staring at Tristin's profile.

There he stood, strong and arrogant. The jaunting chin gave away his antagonism. His eyes gave away his pain. Her fingers itched to touch the length of his thigh to the muscle of his well-sculpted buttocks, if only to remind her of the last time they shared together.

She had to tear her gaze away from the parchment. She had to forget Tristin. Her eyes focused on the photos. Roads, cars, feet. To the untrained eye, they were random. To Rory, she knew it meant a destination.

Rory was drawn to the digital media piece entitled _Loneliness. _ From afar, the word _end_ formed; a third of the 'e' looked like it got hacked off at its crook. The last two letters floated precariously in an angle like someone used an old typewriter and didn't know how to center the paper right.

But when she got closer, the typewriter face was filled with black and white photos of her when she used to pose for Tanh when they first met. Close up shots of her eyes and fingers, her lips and ears peppered the white canvas. Intertwined with those snap shots were photos of Tristin; laughing, gazing. Parts of him also littered the white sheet. But what struck Rory the most were shots of them together. She doesn't remember them being taken but she remembered how alive she felt then.

That snowstorm brought something else than a day of hanging out. It taught her how to live.

They laughed, they spoke. She was vulnerable and wasn't afraid to admit it. He stroked her hair while she rested on his midsection. She remembered how she wanted to kiss him so badly. She was disappointed with herself for over thinking rather than doing it.

How poetic of Tanh to use the word and yet use the visuals of something that was ironically opposite of what it meant. _Loneliness_.

"Rory, I was talking to you," Logan chided her like a child.

She spun around to look at him. "Funny, I thought it was a one way conversation!"

Logan grunted in frustration until he realized where they stood. Pictures of Tristin made him see red.

"He can't give you what I can," he boasted.

"Is that so?" Rory asked in hushed angry tones. "Are you referring to the cutting words saying, 'I'm not good enough?' 'I'm not smart enough?'"

"You're taking my words out of context," he coughed up an excuse.

"Well, tell me then what you mean," Rory challenged him. The fire in her eyes seared through him.

"This!" he grumbled.

His hand cradled the back of her head while his arm snaked around her waist to crush her body against his. The kiss was bold and aggressive. There was no kindness to the branding he tried to enforce on her. Her arms tried to push him away from her when she heard the timber of a voice she had wanted to hear for so long.

"Excuse me," Tristin responded before walking away in fury.

"Logan, let me go!" Rory was less polite this time.

"Rory, you can't tell me that the kiss didn't mean a thing to you," Logan queried.

Rory took a step back away from him and fluffed her hair away from her face. A smile broke on her face before she trotted off. "It did. I hope you get your story tonight!"

In moments, Rory broke her own rule and started running.

oooo0-----0ooooo--------------

_Idiot!_ Tristin muttered to himself.

He rushed to the coatroom and gathered his belongings without looking back. A rush of confusion swept over him as he saw her once more. Thrice he tried approaching her, not knowing what to say. She flitted from group to group, smiling and laughing like it was her own party.

He saw the misery in her eyes despite the broad smile. He wanted to change all that and make things right.

Until Logan came around.

Tristin watched from the shadows as Logan led her away. The touches, the whispers. There was an air of conceit and possession that made Rory uncomfortable. That was when she got up and rushed towards Tanh's display.

It didn't take Logan long to catch up with her, whirl her around and kiss her. That irritated him more than ever.

"Tristin, wait!" he heard her call out after him. The clicks of her heels echoed in the empty hallway.

Her plea fell on deaf ears.

He tossed his coat in the car carelessly before driving away. The tires screeched as he peeled out of the parking lot. He is done with this place.

oooo0-------0oooo---------------

Rory was done playing games. After the stupid stunt Logan pulled, Rory knew what she had to do.

Tristin's car was halfway gone when she got into her Prius. She was not going to let him go this time around.

She didn't know how fast she was going but she was rather surprised that she kept up with Tristin. She was just moments behind him when she saw him get out of his car and walk into his fraternity house.

"Tristin, wait!" she called out once more. He still pretended that he didn't hear her.

Rory was too ticked off to care about the cold breeze accompanying the descent of the evening March sun.

She ran up the steps that led to the main door. There was no way she was turning back now.

"Tristin Anthony DuGrey, I didn't drive all the way here for you to turn your back on me," she called out to him as he ascended the steps to the second story of the building.

Oohs erupted around the house and Tristin was frozen in his spot.

"Why did you follow me?" Tristin asked. His voice was cold and distant.

"Because I know a good thing when it happens and you left me," Rory confessed as hot tears burned her eyes. "I wasn't going to let you do that to me again."

"What about Logan?" he whirled around to face her.

"What about him?" Rory asked.

"You were kissing him!" he accused.

"He kissed me. He wanted me back and I said no," she acknowledged as she closed the gap between them. "I hoped you were going to be there because I wanted to clear the air between us and I was scared and ..."

Tristin got lost in her rambling, watching the emotions flash across her face. He met her halfway and stole her breath in one kiss.

He could hear their onlookers cheer them on from the banisters and the common rooms as he planted his hands on the sides of her face. He felt her delicate fingers caress his heated torso from under his coat. Her lips branded him. His faint cologne drove her wild.

Tristin broke the kiss and hurried her up the stairwell to his room despite the groans of disappointment that marked the end of the show.

Tristin resumed his spot on her lips when he closed the door and pinned her against it.

"Tell me you didn't come here to torture me," he whispered. "Tell me," he kissed, accentuating the meaning, "that I'm not your rebound guy."

"I wanted to tell you," she kissed back as she unbuttoned his shirt, "that I think I loved you the moment you shared the bed with me when we got snowed in."

He crushed her in his arms and swirled her around the room. She shrieked as he dropped her on her back on his bed.

"So why did you still go on that date with Marty?" he asked. His hand started caressing her stocking-clad legs. "Just the idea drove me batty!"

"Because he asked and I already said yes," she stated. She was silently going mad with him playing with the clips on her garter belt. "I bet you would be upset if your date turned you down on the last minute and she was your best friend."

"No one turns DuGrey down," he growled, peppering her face with tiny kisses.

She giggled at his statement, letting him slide on the account that they were both delirious. In slow, agonizing seconds, they helped each other out of their clothing. Her expensive red dress was a heap on the floor while his Kenneth Cole suit laid crumpled next to it.

"So, I was thinking," Rory mumbled long enough before Tristin sequestered her lips once more. "I'm still trying to decipher what you told me during the storm."

"What? _De marche à côté de vous est plus belle que toutes mes rêves?" _ he grunted when she pulled away.

"Yes," she admitted. "Something about walking?"

"Walking beside you is lovelier than any dream," Tristin translated, kissing her knuckles.

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Rory swooned.

"Well, the quote was supposed to be "Waking up beside you" but that would've meant you would've slept with Marty and I didn't want him doing that with you," he admitted.

Rory took the pillow and bashed it against him. "You're too funny."

"And I am possessive," he growled.

Rory took his kisses in stride as she played dangerously with the hem of his boxers.

"Do you think waking up next to me is better than any dream?" Rory asked.

"God, yes," he moaned as Rory teased him. He really didn't like leaving her the night they slept together even when he broke in cold sweat.

"I can show you a thing or two that is better than that," she insinuated as she straddled him.

"Then you better stop telling me, woman," he alluded.

That she did.

END

_Thanks to all who waited this long for the ending. Work got in the way and it's only now I was able to get this ending typed up and proofread. _

_Lioness, I tried emailing you but all my messages came back. I hope the answer suffices._

_Gilmoregurl, email me your addy and I'll explain the Tristan/Dristan comment._

_See you all in the next tale!_

_M_


End file.
